Unexpected Visitor
by Selliks
Summary: Yet another JakDaxterRatchetClank crossover. Chapter Nine: We finally find out what has happened to our furry pal. Apoligies are made and we catch up with the plot. As always, read and review...
1. Chapter One

'..._System Failure Warning_...'

The computer's voice rang through Ratchet's head. If it weren't for the planet they were rapidly approaching, he would have been in full panic. It would mean a crash landing, but at least they would be on a planet and not spinning off into a million peices throughout space.

"Didn't I tell you that we should've checked up on the ship after the last landing?" Ratchets tiny sidekick, Clank suggested. "We were in a hurry!" Ratchet snapped back angrily. Clank contemplated this for a moment. "Well, Ratchet, perhaps if you hadn't stolen that hoverboard, then we would not have gotten into the mess we are in now."

Ratchet would have yelled back with some crazy comeback had he not been thrown back roughly. He blinked a few times trying to recover his breath as Clank's voice seemed to echo through the ship.

---

Erol, the current commander of the Krimzon Guard, marched his men confidently through the streets. Behind him, two guards dragged a young man with them. There was a sudden roar and Erol flung his hands up to protect his face as light seemed to erupt from the sky. He stared in wonder as a small ship spun out from the sky, smashing sickeningly into some nearby buildings. He flung himself down covering his head as pieces of the ruined ship and building flew around him. "Surround the ship!" he panted out to the guards. Erol pointed to the two guards hauling the other limp body. "You two! Keep a good hold on him!"

---

Ratchet cried out as the ship smashed into the buildings. He was flung back roughly as the ship skid to a stop, sending sparks out in every which direction. He lay still for a moment trying to get back his breath. "Clank?", he called out. No answer. Ratchet glanced around, worried. He shuffled a few items around, searching frantically. Maybe he had been tossed out… The smoke from his ship burned his eyes and throat. Coughing, Ratchet felt around for the latch of the emergency exit. He grasped the handle firmly and gave a mighty shove. The door clattered open and Ratchet crawled out. He fell to the ground heavily, the world spinning around him.

He closed his eyes, trying to block out the throbbing pain that had begun in temples. The sound of heavy boots reached his ears. Ratchet opened his eyes and blinked, trying to focus in on his surroundings. He felt himself lifted up and pinned back roughly against what he was assuming to be a building.

"Who and what are you?", a voice commanded. Ratchet's eyes finally focused on a face hovering a few inches above his. Guessing by his looks, he had a good position here on this planet. He eyed him with suspicion before asking cautiously, "Why do you want to know?" The man above him, Erol, sneered and motioned towards a guard. The guard lifted the butt of gun and smacked it hard against the side of Ratchet's head.

Ratchet cried out in pain and would've gripped his head had his arms not been pinned back. "Why the hell'd you do that!", he yelped back. Erol smirked. "Answer my question or..." Erol motioned for the guard again and Ratchet flinched under the expected blow, but to his surprise, the blow never came. He looked back up to Erol and quickly replied. "The name's Ratchet." Erol frowned and stepped up into Ratchet's face. "Answer the second part...What are you. As in species, breed, type." Erol stood over Ratchet sounding out each syllable slowly. "I'm a Lombax, you idiot!", Ratchet snapped back. Erol snarled and tore a gun from one of the guards hands. He slammed it into him forcefully, knocking him to the ground.

Smiling wickedly, Erol leaned down and whispered cruelly into Ratchet's ear. "Wrong Answer... Afraid I've never heard of a Lombax..." Ratchet remained on the ground, pain filling his body. He heard Erol get back up, but didn't reply back.

"Get him sedated and restrained! The Baron will be very interested to see this..." Ratchet felt his mouth pried open and a dark, burning liquid was poured down his throat. The effects of the sedative were almost instant. Within a few minutes, the pain in his head had been reduced to a dull ache. All his senses seemed out of tune. His vision swam in front of him. He couldn't focus on any sights and even his sense of hearing seemed out of it. Every little sound bounced around in his ears making it difficult to tune in to any single noise. Even his muscles went limp.

He closed his eyes, giving up all thoughts of escape at this time. The only thing he could do was wait. Wait for whatever was in store for him.

---

Erol watched the smoking mess with interest as Ratchet was bound. He circled the ship kicking at a few shards of metal. _'Interesting..._' he thought to himself. He looked in through the door in which this 'Lombax' had come through. He gave a small snort and was about to walk away when something caught his eye. He leaned over and scooped up a small robot. He looked it over and gave it a few careless shakes. "Must be broke", he said to seemingly no one in particular. He tossed it back into the ship and turned to one of the remaining guards. "Get rid of this mess. Anything that looks like it's worth something can be set aside. Could be sold later." With that said, he turned away from the ship, motioning for his guards to get moving. They were almost to the palace.

A few feet away from the Lombax, the young boy began to stir. His light blue eyes blinked open and stared around him groggily. The last thing he could recall was Daxter's voice. "I'll come back for you Jak!" As he stared around and got a better view on his surroundings, everything began coming back to him. He could remember a portal, Keira, the Sage. He could see his landing. Jak could almost hear Daxter whining about precursor junk. Then he remembered the guards. The man with the tattooed face. And then blackness. He kept his breathing regular, not wanting to attract any extra attention.

His gaze fell on the other limp body a few feet away from him and his breath caught in his throat. Orange sleek fur covered it's body. It looked very cat-like... It's hands were bound behind it's back too. Jak allowed himself to take a quick glance at his own hands. He wasn't restrained at all. Had this creature come in from the portal with him? How hadn't he noticed?

"Commander! The other one's awake!" Jak jumped slightly at the voice, glancing around quickly. He felt himself dropped down and Erol's face peeked down at his. "Sorry Blondie, but I'm afraid we can't risk a scene in front of the Baron..." The same dark liquid was poured into Jak and within a few minutes he was as limp as Ratchet.

---

Ratchet groaned and rolled over heavily. Had he overslept? What time was it? Why hadn't Clank woken him up yet? Then it hit him. He sat up suddenly looking around in a near panic. Instead of seeing the familiar walls of his room or ship, he was surrounded by the dark dingy walls of the palace prison. The pain had returned in full force and he almost wished he could have whatever they had given him earlier. Sure, he felt like a zombie, but at least there wasn't so much pain.

Ratchet let his eyes roam around the small cell he was in and they fell upon the limp form huddled in the corner. He perked up his ears and listened intently for sign of wakefulness. There were none. He wondered silently if the person was dead and his curiosity took the best of him. He inched up to the form slowly, and studied it. It seemed to be a younger boy, perhaps around his age, maybe not. He had wild blonde hair that was tinted with light green and was wearing a blue tunic of sorts. Ratchet recognized him as the guy he had seen with the Guards before he had been drugged up. He gave him a small nudge, peering down at him with curiosity.

"Uh Hey... You okay, dude?"

Jak opened his eyes and blinked a few times, probably just as confused Ratchet had been. As soon as Jak focused on Ratchet, his eyes widened and he shrunk back against the corner he was in. Ratchet rolled his eyes and scooted away. "Sheesh, why do I bother with you people..." Jak's eyes seemed to widen more when Ratchet spoke. Ratchet rose an eyebrow and continued to stare at Jak. "Sooo, I take it you've never seen a Lombax before then..." Jak shook his head slowly, still watching Ratchet with uncertainty. Ratchet looked around, hoping for a change in subject.

"Okay Then. So... The name's Ratchet. You?" Jak didn't reply, keeping his gaze lowered. Ratchet watched him and quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're not going to talk to me..." Jak looked up in surprise and shook his head quickly. 'No!', Jak thought to himself. 'I would talk to you... but I can't!' Ratchet nodded and kept his stare on the elf. "So you are gonna talk to me." Jak shook his head again and looked around for a way to tell this guy that he couldn't talk. He motioned to his throat instead. Ratchet seemed to get the hint and his grin fell. "You're mute then..."

Jak, finally happy to get his point to Ratchet nodded in relief. Ratchet however, cursed loudly. "Damnit! I'm stuck in prison for no real reason, on an uncharted planet where everyone is trying to kill me and my only companion is a mute!" Jak, startled by Ratchets sudden outburst shrank back against the wall. Ratchet, who didn't seem to notice, flung himself into the other corner, covering his face with his hands. Everyone was wrong. This mission shouldn't have happened like this. At this point, it seemed as though he would never be able to return back home to Veldin. He cowered back into the corner, trembling with frustration and anger.


	2. Chapter Two

Ratchet lay across the floor of the prison cell, unmoving. Two younger guards peered in at him through the barred walls that imprisoned him, talking in quiet voices. The first guard, Karr, turned to his friend and asked with a hauty grin, "So how much you betting on this one, Kiz?" Kiz laughed and turned away, falling lazily back against the bars. "Eh, I'll give him a week before he kicks-the-bucket. First treatment and he's been out for the past day. Hasn't even moved from the spot where they threw him back in." Karr laughed with his friend and leaned against the butt of his gun. "Really? I heard Erol talking with Praxis. They think he'll be 'the one'. You know?" Kiz's face took on a serious tone. "That's what they said about the young buy. That little blonde dude. Nothing's going on with him at all. No changes or anything. What makes them think he'll be different?"

Karr sighed and shook his head. "Well for one, they've got a different species to work with AND they're using a different type of eco. The red stuff. That can be pretty powerful too." There was a long pause in which neither of the guards spoke a word, the subject already becoming old. Karr cleared his throat and checked the time. "We've already wasted enough time here." he said slowly. "You know the commander will have a fit if we don't finish our posts." Kiz nodded in solemn agreement and they both picked up their guns and trudged back to their posts.Ratchet opened his eyes groggily and gazed around. His head pounded with a migraine and his muscles were stiff from not moving for so long. With a slight groan, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He tried to recall the last thing he could remember, but everything came up blank. Ratchet looked over to the corner of the cell and his eyes rested on a small pitcher of water. His mouth was dry and even the stale water looked slightly appealing. He crawled over to the pitcher and took a small drink.The water was old, but his throat didn't complain. He took another drink and moved away. He felt more awake now that the water had refreshed him. With a quiet sigh he leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes. Unfortunatly, the drink hadn't helped the pain in his head.As Ratchet looked around the cell, he felt a guilty pain in his heart. For the first time since he'd been in the prison his thoughts wondered to Clank. He looked up at the ceiling, feeling his throat tighten up. If only he had taken Clanks advice. Even better, maybe he shouldn't have taken off with the hoverboard. At least he wouldn't be where he was now. Ratchet tucked up his legs and placed his chin on top of his knees, swallowing back unshed tears. Clank was alive. He had to be. As if reasuring himself, Ratchet said the words quietly outloud enjoying the way they sounded in the growing darkness. "He made it through, he made it out alive..."_Two years later_Daxter watched in disgust as Jak and Keira reunited in Keira's garage. While the two talked, he snuck off to explore. As he wondered around, bored, something caught his eye on a higher shelf. He climbed up to retrieve a small robot. "Oi! Keira! What's this hunk a junk?" he called over his shoulder.Keira looked up at the robot Daxter was holding and shrugged. "Bought it cheap at an auction. I thought it looked kinda cute." She turned back towards Jak, ignoring Daxter. Daxter jumped off the shelf, taking the robot with him. He sat in a corner studying it for the lack of anything better to do.He turned it over and opened a small compartment in the back. "Hmmmm.... Odd. This wire's undone..." Daxter casually put the wire back in place and closed the compartment. He turned it back over and was startled to see it's eyes begin to light up."Keira! I fixed it! I... am a genius..." Keira rolled her eyes at him. "That's nice, Dax." she said carelessly. Daxter grumpily placed the robot on the floor and walked back to Jak and Keira. "Well that's a fine Thank you. I fix your little..." he motioned to the robot and stopped. "Hey! Where'd it go?" he said with a startled tone."Hello. Would you mind telling me what planet I am on?"Keira shrieked and stepped away away from the chair she had been sitting in. Jak jumped up and pointed his blaster at the small robot that had somehow gotten up on the table. The robot looked between the two, slightly baffled. "There is no need to become hostile. I just asked a question."Keira looked back at Jak and he shrugged, lowering his weapon a bit. Keira kept her distance. "I don't really think we have a name for this planet. We just call it home, I guess." The robot nodded a little bit. "Ah, a very strange name for a planet, but a name nonetheless." Daxter leaped up on the table eyeing the robot wearily. "Wait one minute, metalmouth. How can you understand us?""Why wouldn't I be able to understand you?", the robot replied cooly. Keira and Jak exchanged glances with Daxter. "Do you have names Home- lings?" the robot asked. Daxter intoduced himself and the others."Since my name is much to long, you may just call me Clank. That's always what my friend called me." Clank then looked around worried. "Speaking of which, does anyone of you know where my friend is?" Jak rose an eyebrow and said in a slightly concerned voice, "There are a lot of people around here. Your chance of finding him is not very good."Clank scratched his chin, producing a small squeaking noise. "I don't see why he wouldn't be able to stick out. According to my records, a Lombax is a pretty rare creature." Jak took a sharp intake of breath. Lombax... It sounded so familiar... "What does a Lombax look like?", Jak pushed. Clank thought a moment, then pointed to Daxter. "A little like the furry one here. But taller."Jak closed his eyes for a moment, straining to pick out why this sounded so familiar. Then it hit him. Ratchet! He remembered seeing him for the first time. He could remember his cocky attitude, his stories about all his 'adventures.' Quite frankly, he had thought that the hairball was nuts, just telling stories to pass time. After the baron had taken him away, he had never seen Ratchet again.Jak took a deep breath and eyed Clank with slight pity. "I think I know where your friend is, but the chances of him still alive aren't very good." he said sadly.Everyone looked at Jak with questioning eyes and he continued. "When I was locked up in the barons fortress, I met this guy...well, he wasn't exactly a human. He does fit your description, though. Claimed his name was Ratchet. Is this the right guy?" Clank's robotic eyes seemed to light up. "Yes, Yes! That's got to be him! Is he in need of aid?" he said with excitement.Jak nodded. "Don't get your hopes up. If he's still in the fortress, you'll never be able to break through. I could take on the Guards, but all the technical stuff would be outta me and Daxter's way. And to make matters worse, they's upped security since I escaped."Clank looked at Jak hopefully. "Yes, but you know your way around the prison well. If you could retrieve my friend, I could take care of security. From the looks of things, your planet Home seems to be behind in technology." Jak sighed and ran his hands through his hair. What had he gotten himself into? He never should have said anything. Breaking back into the prison could be suicide. But still.... he couldn't bear the thought of the happy-go-lucky feline look-a-like going through the same things he had been forced to endure.

"We'll start at night..." he replied wearily.

Keira had thrown a fit when Jak and Daxter had decided to break back into the prison, claiming that it was impossible and that they were being silly. Jak, however, shrugged her off and left soon after.He made his way carefully back to area he had escaped from. He looked up at an old vent at the side of one of Haven Cities larger buildings. The vent was up a good twenty feet. He sighed and tried to find a solution. After a few moments of silence, Clank piped up."Perhaps I could use my Heli- Pack to glide you to up to the area of entrance." Jak looked at him as though he was crazy, but having no better ideas, submitted to being hauled up. Clank grinned and latched himself to Jak's shoulder armor. Jak sighed, not knowing how this was supposed to work. He heard a slight whirring noise and stiffled a shout of shock as he was suddenly lifted forcefully off the ground. In a few seconds, he was up in front of the entrance. They flew through and Clank let go.Jak and Daxter hit the bottom of the floor with a small loud thud while Clank glided gracefully down. Jak gave Clank a surprised look and got up, dusting himself off. He looked around, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Well, I think the security panel is around there. That much I remember." He pointed down a short narrow hallway and Clank nodded. "Just give me a few minutes. When the power shuts off, it will be safe for you to continue. I'll come back and await your return." Clank said all this quite casually, much to Jak's surprise. He and Daxter exchanged glances and both shrugged as Clank tottered down the hall.Clank kept to his word. Daxter looked around in slight shock from his perch on Jak's shoulders when the lights flickered then faded out. Jak took a deep breath and began walking forward. "Well, here we go, Dax." he said with a sigh.Ratchet could hear himself screaming. He couldn't hold it in anymore. The first treatment had been rough, but the amount of eco pumped into him increased with every treatment. It was becoming unbearable. Agony ripped through him as he felt the power increase. He stayed like this for nearly ten minutes.The lights flickered suddenly and the lazer stopped. Ratchet slumped back into the chair he was chained to, gasping for air, while Erol cursed loudly. "What is it this time?" the baron yelled out angrily. "We've lost power!" Erol snapped back. "Though I don't see why. We'll have to wait until the generators start up before we can continue with him." He cast a disgusted look in Ratchet's direction. The baron and Erol left to check on the problem, leaving Ratchet alone.Ratchet stayed slumped, all his strength gone from his body. He trembled furiously, pain still racking his body. After the two years he had been here, he still didn't understand why they were doing this to him. Each day, the amount of eco used increased dramatically and so did the time he was tested on.He had given up fighting the treatments. His actions only led him to be beaten into submission everytime. His sleek fur had grown rough and dull, losing it's sheen. Ratchet assumed it was to the lack of food. The room spun around him as everything began fading. He gave a small sigh of relief, happy to fall into the darkness. The darkness was a way to escape the pain, if only for an hour.Jak entered the dark room, memories of sorrow and pain washing over him. If it weren't for Daxter, he'd still probably be here today. Maybe even dead. He shuddered at the thought and swept the room quickly with his eyes. His gaze fell on the shabby form lying limp in the chair. Daxter bounded off Jak's shoulder eyeing Ratchet's still body."Guess Clank was right. This dude could stick out anywhere. So, we breaking him out or what?" Daxter asked obnoxiously. Jak motioned for Daxter to do his stuff. Picking locks wasn't his thing. Daxter, however, picked the locks with ease. Having no more support, Ratchet fell forward and Jak caught him before he hit the ground, slinging him over his shoulder. Without looking back, Jak and Daxter made their leave. They were almost to the exit when the lights suddenly flicked back on. "Damnit!" Jak yelled out angrily. This was just their luck. They had to hurry before they tripped an alarm.Jak made his way back to the exitway and found Clank still waiting. Daxter jumped down and grabbed Clank roughly as Jak studied their situation. They would have to jump... Jak sighed and without another moments hesitation leaped from the window with Daxter in hot pursuit.Jak winced as he hit the ground, his feet stinging from the hard landing. He set Ratchet down in the back of the hovercraft and tossed Daxter and Clank in carelessly. As Jak started up the vehicle, Clank jumped over the seat and ran next to Ratchet. "You're alive!" he shouted with glee. Daxter rolled his eyes and turned back to Clank. "Sorry little dude, but the happy reunion's gonna have to wait." he said quickly. "We don't have much time before those red goons come after us!" He grasped the seat firmly as the engine sputtered to life. "Go Jak! Make like a tree and leave! NOW!!!"Jak hit the gas and the hovercraft shot forward. As he drove off, a light grin formed on his face. He gave a quick glance to Daxter and smirked. "A tree, Daxter? That's got to be the corniest thing I've heard out of your mouth yet." 


	3. Chapter Three

**Hello Everyone! Squabbit Here. I wanted to take a moment to thank and reply to all my reviewers. I didn't do it last time due to my extreme laziness. :)**

**_Lunatic Pandora1: Well, since you reviewed the first chapter, you might not of noticed that I decided to be more original and use red eco. :)_**

**_Krin: Haha! Quite Frankly, I have no idea what a Lombax is either. I think the creature itself might be based on a Fennec. It's a small desert fox with cute big ears. I figure, Ratchet lives in a dry place, is orange and fluffy and has big ears. Besides, there are a few resemblences too. And about Clank, I do have big plans for him in the future. :) Thanks!_**

**_Doomofevil: You've never heard of Ratchet and Clank? Why you poor deprived child..._**

**_Ekobean: I know, the theme is a bit overused. You have to understand though, I did start writing this is January, but alas, it's become a bit more er... popular... cough cough_**

**_Lunaric Pandora1(again): LOL, Don't get too excited! Anyways, as Ekobean said, the theme is overused, so I wanted to spice it up a bit. You don't get a lot of uniqueness with everyone using dark eco. _**

**_dragonballzfreakgirl: Well, keep tuned in!_**

**_Hellmouth2: I know! Poor CLank! Cries We all owe large thanks to Daxter and his annoying noziness! LOL._**

**Thank you Everyone for your Reviews! Remember, I do actually read them! LOL. Anyways, without further ado, here's chapter three! YAY!**

Torn sat resting at his desk, his head held in his hands. Due to the Undergrounds busy schedule, he hadn't been able to get sleep for what seemed like days. The lack of rest seemed to be taking it's toll on him finally. He leaned over on his desk, his eyelids getting heavy. His head drooped and he would've fallen asleep had someone not entered the hideout.  
His head jerked up and he stared up alertly, not willing to show any weaknesses around anyone. He cursed under his breath when he saw it was only Jak. He snarled and stared Jak down. "Don't you have somewhere better to be at two in the..." He trailed off when he saw that Jak was carrying someone.  
"Torn, we need a huge favor."  
  
Torn stared at the young Lombax with slight disgust. He didn't know how Jak had talked him into letting it stay here. The bastard had charisma. He groaned and slid back into his chair, keeping an eye out for any movements. There was no way he'd be getting some rest tonight. He couldn't risk the Lombax waking up, unless.... Torn raised an eyebrow in the direction of the creature and and then glanced back up to a cupboard door to his right with a slight grin.  
  
"YOU OVERDOSED HIM ON SLEEPING PILLS?!" Torn had seen it coming, but ah well. He got a few hours in and that, for the time being, was the only thing that mattered to him. In the meantime though, he tried his best not to laugh at Jak. "Don't worry Jak... They're not long lasting. Your little friend will be up in a few days." Jak gave Torn a horrified look and Torn grinned slightly. "I'm just pissing with you, idiot. Expect him awake and alert in a couple hours."  
"So you did not overdose him. Is this what you are saying?" Torn whipped around and pulled out his gun to find himself pointing at a small robot of some type. Clank looked back at Jak, who shrugged. Then he turned back to Torn. "Your race is very hostile.", he said in an annoyed tone.  
Torn quickly gained back his composure and slipped the gun away. "Hard Times...", he muttered. Clank nodded in return. "I have noticed that." Torn stared at the robot in slight disbelief. "You understand me?" Clank responded with a slightly annoyed squeak. "Robots must not be very popular on Home." Having had enough, Torn motioned towards Ratchet. "Did you find a different place to keep him?" he asked Jak gruffly.  
"Yeah. He'll stay with a friend of mine. She's got extra space for him.", Jak replied quickly. Torn gave an inward sigh of relief. "Then get it out."  
  
Much to Jak's relief, there were no problems at all with the trip to Keira's place. Ratchet stayed sound asleep and no one seemed to notice him at all. Things had gone much better than planned. Keira had seemed pretty calm about the whole situation, which made him feel better.  
"Listen... Are you sure you're gonna be okay?", he questioned her again as he left. "I mean, what if he wakes up?" Keira rolled her eyes and pushed him out the door. "Don't worry. Thanks to Torn, he shouldn't wake up for another few hours. That is, if he wasn't lying."  
Keira watched Jak go, reluctantly. She had actually wanted him to stay a bit longer. She felt nervous here alone, but didn't say anything. She had to prove to Jak that she could do this.  
Keira sat down in her kitchen and was followed by Clank. "Your friend... He's not, um, mean... or anything, is he?" she asked him nervously. Clank would have smiled, had he not been a robot. "Ratchet is a good guy. He would never hurt another person, Miss." Keira wrung her hands nervously. "Jak said he'd found him after an eco treatment."  
Clank looked up at her. "Hmm, why would this change a person, Madam?" Keira paused before answering. "It changed Jak. Daxter say's they tested dark eco on him. People say he changes... when he get's angry..." Clank thought hard, but couldn't seem to process the idea. "How do you know Ratchet has been changed? My knowledge tells me that there has to be more than just one type of eco here, Miss."  
Keira had to admit that Clank was right, but she was still doubtful. "Have you seen him? I mean your friend... He looks so weak. God knows what they did to him." Clank didn't respond. He liked this girl. She was different from the other people. "You don't seemed frightened by his different appearence, Miss. Why is this?"  
Keira blushed slightly. "You can quit calling me Miss. Just call me Keira. And the whole appearence thing. I don't know. I mean, deep down, he's no different than any one of us. He just looks different. That's all." Clank agreed. "If only more people thought the way you do, Miss Keira."  
  
Ratchet shifted slightly as he began to wake up. The first thing he noticed was that he was warm. Comfortably warm. He knew it had to be a dream. A beautiful dream that he didn't want to wake up from. How long had he been unconcious? He guessed that the guards had just dragged him back to his cell when the power had come back.  
He also noticed that the pain he usually felt after the treatments had vanished. His muscles were stiff, but the throbbing pain that always seemed to haunt him was gone. Ratchet opened his eyes, half expecting to see his cell walls surrounding him. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw he was in another place. He stared up at the whitewashed ceiling in disbelief. He turned over and stared at the pillow his head had been resting on in wonder. He rolled back over and stared up in shock. There was only one solution. He was dead. He had to be dead. How else could he explain this.  
A door creaked open and Ratchet quickly shut his eyes. He kept himself relaxed as he heard footsteps approach. Someone sat nearby and a female voice spoke. "He looks so weak..." There was a slight pause. "Can I?" A familiar voice answered her. "You may touch him if you wish Miss Keira. Although, I should say, he wouldn't let you if he was awake."  
Ratchet tensed and waited for the strike. Instead, he was surprised when a small hand touched his cheek softly. He flinched slightly and cursed himself for being locked away for so long. He had almost forgotten the feel of a gentle touch. Even though he couldn't stand to be treated like a pet, he had to admit the gentle stroking felt good. He remained quiet and suffered himself to be petted by her. "He's so soft and fuzzy... Almost like velvet." he heard the girl say.  
Ratchet felt the fur behind his neck bristle. Allowing himself to be petted was one thing, but now she was damaging his ego. With lightening quick reflexes his hand shot out and gripped her wrist tightly, disallowing her from touching him again. He heard her give a small shriek and released the pressure on her wrist. "I'm... not... fuzzy..." he said slowly.  
He sat up slowly and scooched against the back board of the bed. He peeked an eye open and studied the person who had been 'petting' him. It was a young woman, maybe in her late teens or something. He wasn't good with guessing ages. Her skin was a pale color and her hair was dark blue- green. He stared at her frightened eyes for a second and felt guilty. "Didn't mean to scare you." he commented quietly.  
"It is good to see you again, Ratchet."  
It was that voice again... It sounded so familiar. Ratchet turned and stared at the small robot in disbelief. "Clank? Is it really you?" he asked. Clank smiled the best he could. "Who else would it be?" he answered happily. Ratchet whooped and hugged the small robot. "I thought I'd lost ya in the crash!" he cried out. Ratchet felt as though a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders now that he knew Clank was allright.  
"One of my wires must have been disconnected when we crashed. I remained without power for a long time it seems. You've grown." Clank commented with pride. Ratchet grinned at the compliment. "And you, Clank, haven't rusted a spot." "Why Thank you."  
  
"Ah... Guys?"  
  
Ratchet looked back to the girl and his ears drooped a bit. He gave her a sheepish grin and apoligized. "Heh, Sorry about that. Sorta forgot you were there." He put out his hand and grinned. "The name's Ratchet. You?" Keira took his hand and shook it lightly. "Just call me Keira."  
"See, Miss Keira. Ratchet is a good person. He wouldn't hurt you." Clank said as he watched the exchange. Ratchet cocked an ear towards her and winked. "Not unless you really upset me. Then I'd be forced to eat your soul." He laughed at Keira's shocked expression and gave her a playful wink. "I'm just kidding! No need to worry."  
Clank though, hadn't seemed to get it. "Ah Ratchet. According to my information processor, eating one's soul would be impossible." he said, looking confused. Ratchet and Keira both gave him a blank look. "Clank...", Ratchet said slowly. "I wasn't serious." Clank paused before giving a knowing nod. "Ah yes. Of course."  
Ratchet moved his stare back towards Keira. "Question... How did I get here?" he asked her. Clank told his friend about Jak and Daxter and how they had helped break him out. "You were brought here because this was considered safest for you.", he finished. Ratchet paused a moment then asked, "Why did these guys help out. I mean... risking their lives to help a stranger?" Keira answered the question for him.  
"Jak wasn't going to at first, but after Clank mentioned something about your race, Jak seemed to recognise it. He told Clank that he had seen someone who had fit the description, but his chances of still being alive were close to nothing. Later that night, they left for you." She paused before quickly adding, "And Jak's that kind of person. He likes to help out other people."  
Ratchet didn't say anything and his prolonged silence made Keira uncomfortable. She quickly changed the subject. "I'm assuming that your probably hungry. I mean, the prison's food can't be to fullfilling." Ratchet's face lit up at the mention of a real meal. "You actually think I'm going to turn down food after spending over two years in a prison?" Keira laughed for the first time since she'd met him. "I should've known!"  
  
Ratchet stood quietly in the room Keira had given him. He walked over to the window overlooking the richer part of Haven City and sighed. The past two days had moved way too fast. It seemed like only yesturday he had been in the baron's filthy prison. Much to his surprise, Keira didn't seem to bothered by him or his appearence. She had gotten used to him pretty quickly.He stepped away from the window sadly. He couldn't stand being locked away in here. No one seemed to understand his predicament at all.  
Ratchet approached the long mirror resting against the wall and studied his reflection. Clank was right. He had grown. His face had exhanged it's youthful round shape for a slimmer, more handsome look and he had grown much taller. He was also happy to see that his fur was already gaining back it's old shine.  
Ratchet looked at the clothes he was wearing with slight disgust. For some odd reason he felt strangley over-dressed. He was used to the outfit he had always worn on his home planet. He was wearing a baggy pair of khaki- coloured pants along with a white tunic.  
"Ratchet? Everything allright?" Ratchet jumped at the sound of Keira's voice and turned to find her standing quietly in the doorway. He frowned slightly. "Keira? How long have you been standing there?" She shrugged and continued to watch him with concern. "Just long enough to see that you've got something on your mind. Wanna talk?" Ratchet refused the offer. He wasn't one to talk about his personal problems. "Nah. Nothing wrong.", he lied.  
Keira didn't say anything, but left the room. It was odd to see him so quiet. He had been nothing but happy for the past two days. She shrugged it off.  
Ratchet watched her go, a feeling of guilt washing over him. He didn't like to lie, definatly to women. Even about such little things as feelings. But still, his feelings were his own and he prefered to keep them that way.  
He still hadn't seen this 'Jak' dude. He figured that he would've met up with him by now. When he had mentioned this to Keira she had just snapped back saying that he was busy. Being a pretty nice guy, he didn't push her into talking about it anymore. Jak seemed to be a touchy subject.  
'Wonder if the two have something going on?', he thought to himself. 'Or maybe, by the way Keira avoided the subject, 'had' had something going on. 'I wonder if they're a couple.' he added as an after thought.


	4. Chapter Four

**Well, here's chapter four. Sorry if it's kind of short. LOL. I was having a huge brain fart when I** **wrote this so throw me freaking bone, people. :) Anyways, it might be a while before I update. I don't know where to go exactly with the next chapter and I could use all the help you guys can offer! So, Hellmouth2, here's your chance to help out! LOL. Now before I begin rambling, I'm going to get to all the reviews. **

**_Lunatic_ _Pandora1_****: Ah, and righto you are my dear Pandora! What I have in mind for Ratchet might surprise even the best of you all! Keep updated and thank you for reading!**

**_angelgardian666_: Hello and thanks for reading my story. Since you liked this one, you should go and read my others. You may find them rather funny.**

**_hellmouth2_****: Aw! I want to thank one of my favorite reviewers! hugs This chapter here is the latest one. I have nothing else written so far. DAMN, I'm pathetic. LOL. Anyways, I'd love all the help I can get! see above**

**_ShiroNekoNyao_: huggles You're so nice! I was so surprised to get your review! You really inspired me to keep this up even though I am having quite the brain fart right now! Here's the newest chapter fresh of the counter! Enjoy and I look forward to your next review!**

****

Ratchet sat quietly in Keira's kitchen flipping through some of her mechanical manuals and whatnot. This place was pretty primative compared to his home. As he flipped boredly through the pages he began to wonder if this planet was even marked at all. It had never shown up on his radar before he crashed. He had just been lucky enough to spot it. He let out a small sigh, feeling depressed. He missed his home planet, Veldin, now more than ever.  
Ratchet heard a small knock and he flicked back his ears, trying to catch a bit of the conversation. He heard someone get up to answer the door and recognised Keira's footsteps. The door creaked open and Keira happily greeted another person.  
  
"Sorry I'm late Keira. I've been... busy..."  
  
Ratchet didn't recognised the new voice and kept himself still. He couldn't hear any fear in Keira's voice and he relaxed slightly. This person was a good friend of hers. He heard footsteps approaching the kitchen. Keira wasn't alone. His ears flattened back threateningly and he glanced up at the figures in the doorway.

A young man, looking around nineteen stood next to Keira in a relaxed position. Keira glanced up at the guy, beaming, then looked back towards Ratchet. "Ratchet! This is the guy I was talking about! I'd like you to meet Jak!" Ratchet relaxed, most worry gone. He grinned and quirked an eyebrow in their direction. "Ah. So you're the brave savior she keeps yapping about , eh?" he asked. Keira chuckled and Jak seemed sorta lost. "Uh. Yeah. That would be me..."A fuzzy head poked itself around Jak's leg, eyeing Ratchet with suspicion. "WOW! You look a lot better than you did when we came for ya! Holy Yakkows! We thought for sure you were a gonner!" the small creature spoke. Keira looked slightly exasperated and motioned towards Daxter. "And THIS is Daxter." She rolled her eyes, motioning for Jak and Daxter to sit at the table. They plopped down, both eyeing Ratchet.Ratchet laughed quietly, watching Jak and Daxter. "No need to worry. I don't bite." Jak and Daxter exchanged quick glances then looked at Keira. She laughed and sat down next to Jak. "What's wrong, Jak?" she asked. Jak shrugged and replied, "I don't know. I guess I'm still getting over the fact that I've just broken a creature from a completely different galaxy outta prison."Ratchet shrugged and replied coolly, "S'pose that could shock a person." Jak nodded quickly and exchanged another glance with Keira. Ratchet rose an eyebrow, his curiosity getting the best of him. "So," he asked calmly. "You two have something going on?"Keira blushed and Jak became flustered. "Uh, no." he stammered. "We're friends, close friends." Ratchet shrugged. "Sorry, my bad." he said with a half laugh. Daxter leapt up on the table and motioned to the two in the doorway with a sly grin. "Ah, don't let the lovebirds fool you." he said loudly. "They're completly digging eachother. IN FACT, they did have a little mojo going on before-"Daxter didn't get to finish. Jak leapt across the table and grabbed Daxter roughly. He tried to catch his balance, but skid across to the other end and fell off with a low moan and some muffled swearing from Daxter.Ratchet lowered his arms back onto the table after flinging them up to avoid being knocked off his chair. A long pause had fallen over the room. Daxter was trying futivly to escape from Jak's murderous glare. Jak was too busy sending death threats to Daxter and Keira just looked completely shocked. In a sense, he felt extremely uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and got up slowly. "Well, I uh... I'm just going to go...." He motioned towards the door and Keira moved over for him. He sent one more curious look at Jak and his furry pal before brushing past Keira.Jak watched Ratchet go with slight embarresment. He cast one more dark look at Daxter before getting back up. Brushing the dirt of his pants he gave a small sheepish smile to Keira. "Well... It was nice seeing you again." he said quickly. Keira looked surprised to see him ready to go so soon. "Don't you want to stay longer?" she asked. Jak avoided her stare and scooped up Daxter. "We've got a few things we need to do." With that said he walked past Keira and out the door.Keira watched him go with a hurt expression on her face. Her arms fell to her sides and she leaned against the doorway, watching him leave. She sighed deeply and waved even though she knew he wouldn't notice. "It was nice talking to you too." she muttered under her breath as Jak revved up the engine and sped off.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Keira spun around to see Ratchet standing a few feet away. She felt a warm blush fall over her cheeks and looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I'm cool." she replied back. Ratchet nodded slightly. "Uhm-hmm." he said with a slight grin. He turned around and walked to the large living room window that he had become accustomed to looking out of. He leaned up against the pane and peered out at the people walking below. He didn't worry about being seen because he wouldn't be seen clearly from the people below.He heard Keira walk into her bedroom and he leaned back out of the window. As he studied the life below him a strange noise caught his ears. His eyes narrowed slightly and he turned around. There! He caught the noise again and pricked up his ears to catch it. If he wasn't mistaken, it sounded almost like someone was crying.Ratchet walked quietly down the hallway and stopped at Keira's door. His ears perked up and he listened with shock. It was Keira who was crying. He stood by the closed door, his hand against it ready to push it open. He paused and considered it for a moment. With a deep breath, he pushed the door gently and it creaked open. He peered in and saw Keira on the other side of her bed with her head in her hands. She had stopped crying for the moment and turned to face her wall."What do you want?" she asked rudely. Ratchet, slightly taken aback, considered just leaving her, but decided not to. He stepped into the room and cleared his throat. "Are you okay? I mean, is there anything you wanna talk about?" he asked. Keira didn't answer and he felt extremely uncomfortable. "Well, if you do need to talk, I'll just be in the main room..." He took a step back and was just reaching for the doorknob when Keira turned around suddenly. She put her hand out and replied, "Wait!" Ratchet, slightly surprised, turned around to see her staring back at him. Her eyes red and her cheeks tearstained."Don't go..." she said quietly. Ratchet released the doorknob and took a step towards her. She motioned for him to sit down next to her. He walked across the room and sat down a few feet away from her. Keira remained quiet and he searched for something to say. "It's about Jak, isn't it?" he finally asked. Keira nodded and sniffed but still didn't speak. "Do you... uh... have any feelings for him?" he asked this gently, not wanting to push her into talking about something she was uncomfortable with.Keira gave a small sob and suddenly fell into his arms, crying. Ratchet stared at her in complete shock, not quite knowing how to react to something like this. It wasn't very often someone fell into his arms sobbing. He put his arms around her shoulders and gave her a reasuring hug.  
  
"I don't know what to do..." he heard her say. "What am I doing wrong?" she asked. Ratchet stared down at her, still speechless. "You're not doing anything wrong." he replied back. "I guess he just needs time..." he said slowly trying to make her feel better. Keira sniffed and kept her face buried on his shoulder, still crying. "He's changed so much. It's like he's a complete stranger..." she muttered. Ratchet sighed and patted her back, much like one does to an upset child. "Eco can do that to a person." he said quietly. He knew that firsthand. Keira didn't move and he felt her relax a bit. "What's it like?" he heard her ask. "Does it hurt?"Ratchet gave her a slightly confused look. "Does what hurt?" he asked her. She looked up at him for a brief moment then said softly, "Eco. When they do whatever they do... Is it painful?" Ratchet looked away, refusing to meet her gaze. It was hard for him talk about. "No..." he muttered in reply. "It's far beyond pain... more than agony... more than anything you can ever imagine."Keira had finally stopped crying, but still remained in his arms. "Is that why Jak's so different?" she asked. Ratchet thought a moment then replied. "Maybe, maybe not. I don't think it's the eco that changed him so much. It's just the fact that he's so bent on revenge. So badly that he becomes blind to everything else around him."Keira nodded along quietly and became quiet. After a while she looked back up at him. "Thank you Ratchet... Thanks for listening. It helps, you know." Ratchet didn't reply, but stared ahead, his face neutral. He felt her lean on him again and gave her another reasuring hug. He sat with her until her breathing became relaxed and regular. He looked at her relaxed face and knew she had fallen asleep.Ratchet shifted her weight and let her fall back into the bed. He pulled the covers over her and stood up quietly, as not to wake her. When he was sure she was asleep, he tip-toed out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He walked into the living room, remaining silent. As he sat down on the sofa, he heard Clank's tiny footsteps. He watched as his friend hauled himself onto the sofa next to him but didn't say anything.Clank studied him for a moment, beaming, Ratchet, becoming uncomfortable under Clanks tedious stare finally turned to face him. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked in a grumpy tone. Clank grinned and leaned back. "You're really good with people, you know that?" he said. Ratchet quirked an eyebrow and replied, "Why do you say that?" Clank shrugged. "Not too many people would put up with her in that condition and do what you did. That was quite nice of you."Ratchet sighed and leaned back along with Clank. "I don't know..." he said sadly. "She was upset and needed someone to talk to." Clank nodded and contined to stare at Ratchet. "You know what, Ratchet?" he asked. Ratchet looked over at Clank. "What?" he replied coolly. Clank grinned and sat up. "You've grown up more than you'll ever know..."

**Aww! I added a bit of fluff. And just for future references, Ratchet and Keira do not and will not EVER have a relationship of anykind. They're just friends. So, don't ask me if they have a thing for eachother... BECAUSE THEY DON'T! Besides, Ratchet's not even her same species!**


	5. Chapter Five

**I want to thank everyone again for his or her reviews! And DEFINATE thanks to ShiroNekoNyao for the advice on Clank. And even more to Sandy87. You are totally right. I was having a blonde moment. I went through and changed the whole height thing. And I want everyone to be patient on the weapons thing. That will happen. I promise! -hides-- In the meantime, please don't hurt me! --squeals-- Anyhow, I'll go through and finish the parts with Clank and the conversions or whatever they are. LOL. I've already gotten to work on the next chapter and promise to include an argument between Jak and Ratchet regarding Keira. Sorry for reposting this chapter. There were other mistakes I noticed when going through it! And the part where Jak and Ratchet are having the contest was influenced by that scene in LOTR. It really made me chuckle and I couldn't resist putting it in. Anyways, I apoligize again for the repost, but there were some mistakes that couldn't go ignored. -Toodles!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Insomniac or Naughtydog related. Happy? :P**  
  
Jak and Daxter hopped onto the their most recently 'borrowed' zoomer. The sun was already setting into the skies of Haven City and made the crowded streets look even more depressing. Daxter sighed dramatically and threw his hands up in the air. "Do we really have to go and kill off those metal- heads in that dumb forest?" he whined loudly. Jak resisted the urge to smack him off his shoulder and replied, "No, but unless you've got something better to do..."  
  
Daxter opened his mouth, but Jak interrupted him quickly. "Something that doesn't have anything to do with women, alcohol and anything else obscene." Daxter closed his mouth and pouted on Jak's shoulder. His next comment was drowned out by the sound of the Zoomer's engine roaring to life. They shot forward and disappeared into the traffic.  
  
Nearly a half-hour later, they pulled up in front of the race stadium. Jak slammed on the brakes and hopped off the zoomer, not bothering to turn it off. It smashed into the side of the stadium, exploding. Jak landed on his feet roughly and the sleeping Daxter was thrown off his shoulder. He landed a few feet away with a loud groan. Jak smirked and stepped lightly past him.  
  
Daxter snarled and pushed himself up. He looked around in slight surprise and ran ahead of Jak to stop him. "Whoa! Jak-man! I thought we where going after metal-heads?" he asked curiously. Jak ignored him and continued up to Keira's door, knocking on the door. Daxter got a cocky grin on his face when he saw where they were. "Oh.... I see. You've come to get a little loving before you-"  
  
Daxter was cut off as Keira opened the door, narrowly missing him. Her eyes lit up when she saw Jak. "Hey! Come on in!" She stepped out of the way to let him through, but he didn't enter. His hard gaze caused her to falter slightly and she wrung her hands nervously. "I was just wondering if Ratchet was around here." he said.  
  
Keira looked stung but nodded her head. She turned around and walked numbly away from the door, closing it behind her. A few minutes later, the door swung open. This time Daxter wasn't so lucky. He let out a muffled squeak as he was knocked over roughly and pinned up against the wall.  
  
Ratchet's silhouette appeared in the doorway. He grinned when he saw Jak. "What's up, Hero-boy?" he questioned. Jak didn't return the grin. "Nothing much. Wanna break from this household prison?" he asked. Ratchet quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. "It depends on what you have in mind." he said suspiciously. Jak shrugged and stepped away from the doorway. "I'm going to hunt after some metal-heads for a friend. It's night and there's not a lot of people around. You could tag along. Get some fresh air."  
  
Ratchet considered the offer. The baron would probably be offering a huge bounty for him. With his appearance, he would be easy prey. He did have a cloak though, AND as Jak said, there wouldn't be a lot of traffic or people walking around. It would be dangerous, but he would be willing to risk it. Ratchet shrugged and grabbed his cloak off the hook by the door, and swung it around himself.  
  
"Excuse me just one second." Ratchet said quickly to Jak. He stepped briskly into Keira's living room. Clank was channel surfing and had a bored expression on his face. Clank turned and gave Ratchet a rather dirty look for a robot. "Where do you think you are going, Ratchet?" he demanded. Ratchet chuckled in reply. "hunting." he said avidly. Clank dropped from the sofa and walked up to Ratchet, looking up at him accusingly. "You know you are not supposed to leave. You could get caught! And what do you mean by hunting?"  
  
Ratchet nearly laughed and plucked Clank up from the floor. "We're hunting metal-heads. AND you're coming along!"

Daxter peeled himself from the wall and glared at Jak. "Haha... You think you're funny, don't you? Well YOU KNOW WHAT? I-" The door flew open again, but his time Daxter was prepared and hopped away before getting slammed again. He pointed an accusing finger at Ratchet. "Oh! So now you're the funny one, eh?" Ratchet gave him a strange look while Clank looked on, obviously peeved. Jak rolled his eyes and started off. Daxter cast one more murderous glare at Ratchet and Clank before storming off. Ratchet and Clank exchanged glances and shrugged simultaneously before tagging along.  
  
Jak observed what little Zoomer options he had. His was obviously NOT in flying condition so he'd have to make a grab at another one. A large two-seater trugged along, the driver oblivious to his under-surroundings. With a half-grin, Jak braced himself and as soon as the Zoomer passed from above, he leapt up, pushing himself off the ground in an explosive reflex. In one clean motion, he grabbed the side of the Zoomer and swung into the driver's seat, tossing the owner to the ground. The owner of the vehicle fell to the side and hit the ground with a sickening crunch.  
  
Ratchet watched on, horrified at the sight of the man's twisted body. No wonder why this guy was wanted by the Krimzon Guard so badly. He jumped slightly when Jak lowered the Zoomer and pulled up besides Ratchet and Clank. Ratchet opened the door and sat down without a word. Clank followed his motions, sitting on the dash. He glared at Jak until Jak looked at him. "You have a problem, tin-man?" Jak asked. Clank squeaked indignantly in return, but still didn't reply.  
  
The trip continued in silence with Ratchet in deep thought. There were two things that bugged him about this man. First of all, he seemed so familiar. Jak reminded him of someone, but he couldn't place his face. As soon as he first saw Jak, the feeling of familiarity hit him, and hit him hard. Every since he'd last seen him, he couldn't shake it off.  
  
The other thing that bothered Ratchet was still a mystery to him. There was something about Jak he didn't like. Something about him was off. There was a deep evil and darkness in the man. And it didn't help that Jak was nearly a head taller than Ratchet was. Needless to say, Jak was quite the intimidating person.  
  
The hunters made it to Haven Forest within a half-hour and Ratchet was more than happy to step out of the vehicle. He stared up at the large steps in near awe. Without a look back, Jak and Daxter had begun walking up to them. Clank started off, but turned to eye Ratchet. "Is something wrong?" he asked in a sincere tone. Ratchet shook his head and followed Jak's lead.  
  
They made it too a large door at the top of the stairs. The door made a few loud clicking noises then opened wide, leading into a round room. Jak lead them into the beginning's of a forest and walked up to a warp gate. "Ever used a portal?" he asked Ratchet.  
  
Ratchet nodded and looked where Jak was pointing. "This gate brings you up there. Just jump through." Jak leapt through the portal and only a few seconds later popped out the other one. He waved down to say it was safe. Ratchet and Clank eyed the gate and shrugged. With a whoop, Ratchet jumped into the gate.  
  
The air turned icy cold and Ratchet stared in surprise as his surroundings lost their shape and melted into another scene. There was a flash of light and Ratchet rolled out of the portal, hitting the ground hard. "Ow..." he said slowly. He heard Daxter snigger and flipped him off. "Oh screw off..."  
  
Ratchet pushed himself up and dusted off his pant legs. "That was er... different..." he muttered. Clank stared at him, a small smile lighting up his face. "I thought the experience was fun." he said happily. Ratchet glared at the robot and stood up, feeling sick to his stomach. "Whatever." he growled under his breath.  
  
They followed Jak to the precursor platform and Ratchet stared at it in disgust. "Your kidding, right?" he asked hopefully. Jak smirked and shook his head. "No... Is the little kitty afraid of heights?" he pressed on. Ratchet's ears fell back against his head as he peeked over the edge. "Of course I'm not scared." he said shakily. _I'm terrified!  
_  
He said the last past in his head. The trio standing away from the edge seemed to see right through him. Daxter got a cocky grin on his face. "Aww... If you want, we can hold your hand while we cross!" His fit of laughter was quickly halted by Ratchet grabbing him roughly. Ratchet held him upside down and said through gritted teeth, "I'm not scared of heights!" He dropped him and glared murderously at Jak. "Heights don't bother me at all. In fact, I'll go first."  
  
This seemed to catch Jak and Daxter by surprise. Jak motioned towards the platform. "Uh okay. Just jump on and it takes you to another part of the forest. The moment Ratchet stepped onto the platform with Clank, he regretted it. The platform began moving and Ratchet's stomach lurched dangerously. As long as he didn't look down... don't look down... don't look down...  
  
He took a deep breath and opened his eyes and took a quick glance down. The pit seemed to go on forever. He felt his stomach flip over again and he swallowed back his anxiety. From around the corner he could see the edge coming up. The platform stopped in front of it and Ratchet wasted no time getting off. He staggered back away from the edge, bumping into a wall behind him. He sighed in relief and leaned back against the wall, sinking to his knees.  
  
Clank watched from a few feet away as the Platform made it's way back to the others. He eyed Ratchet with concern. Ratchet had never shown any fears of heights or nearly anything for that matter. It was odd to see him so jumpy. "Are you all right?" Clank asked. Ratchet looked up and stared at Clank. "Not a word to the others about this, all right? Not even a chuckle." Seeing that Ratchet's pride was at stake, Clank nodded. "Of course not. It's just that... well... When did you ever develop a fear of heights, Ratchet?" Clank asked curiously. Ratchet snarled under his breath and got up, trying to regain his composure. "Of course I'm not frightened of heights." he spat back. "I just haven't been outside in a while." Clank gave Ratchet a startled look. "There's no need to become angry with me!" he said.  
  
Ratchet turned away, clenching his fists. He ignored Clank and glared out into the forests angrily. He could hear the platform returning and the anger slowly drained from his system and was replaced with guilt. He unclasped his fists and avoided Clank's curious gaze, wondering what had set him off so easily.  
  
The platform stopped and Jak and Daxter hopped off. "You didn't' get sick, did ya?" mused Daxter. Ratchet grinned. The brief anger in his system had been replaced with his usual happy-go-lucky attitude. "Nope." he lied. Daxter quirked an eyebrow. "Not a single bit? Didn't get fwightened by the ickle heights?" he pressed on. Much to everyone's surprise, Ratchet chuckled. "Nup." he said. Daxter looked slightly peeved at Ratchet's lack of argument. "I can see the fear in you eyes!" he accused. Ratchet rolled his eyes and turned away, studying the forest. "Can you now?" he said casually.  
  
Daxter opened up his mouth and started to reply, but Ratchet interrupted. "Listen. We could sit here and do this all day, but I've got other things to do." He turned back to Jak. "No offense buddy, but you don't exactly expect me to help you take one metal-heads with my bare hands, do you?" Jak paused and nodded. He took off the pack on his back and rummaged through it for a few moments and pulled out a Scatter gun. "I keep extras." he muttered. Jak threw the weapon carelessly to Ratchet.  
  
Ratchet caught the upgradeable weapon expertly, much to the other's surprise. He held it up and studied it closely. It was extremely primitive compared to what he was used to, but that would make it easier to use. Ratchet aimed it forward and a loud shot rang throughout the room. Where Daxter had been standing a few seconds ago, there was a dark scorched mark on the ground. Daxter was clinging like a child onto Jak's leg and pointing dramatically to the burned ground. "That bastard tried killing me! That crazy bastard tried to kill me!"  
  
Ratchet chuckled and lowered the weapon. "Nah. If I had wanted to kill you, you wouldn't be talking right now." The shocked expression on Daxter's face was priceless. Even Clank was smiling. Jak rolled his eyes and tossed Ratchet the blaster upgrade. "Here take this. It's a long distance upgrade. You'll need it." He smirked and gave it to Ratchet.  
  
"The metal-heads we're hunting are wearing a special type of camouflage that makes them near impossible to hunt down. We'll be fine if we stick together." Ratchet nodded curtly. It had been so long since he had been outdoors... tasted freedom. There would be little time to enjoy it however.  
  
Ratchet attached to blaster upgrade to the weapon and followed Jak to the doorway. "It seems pretty quiet." Ratchet murmured to Jak. Jak smirked in reply and motioned to part of the stream. Ratchet's eyes widened in surprise. Someone, or something was walking through the water. As he stared harder, he noticed the way the air seemed to warp around the creature, making it completely noticeable to him.  
  
Using this newly found knowledge, he combed the area with his eyes and was surprised at how many of the metal-heads he could pick out. This wouldn't be an easy task. He exchanged glances with Jak. "How many are there... exactly?" he said in a small voice. Jak stepped back from the doorway. "Between thirty and forty. Why? You scared?" he pressed on. Ratchet pinned his ears back against his head in defense. "Of course not!" he replied back. "I could take out twice as many metal-heads as you and not break a sweat." he bragged. Jak sneered and stepped back. "Oh really?" he said sarcastically.  
  
Meanwhile, Clank and Daxter looked on with annoyance while the two began arguing. Clank shook his head. "I do not know why he even tries." he said. Daxter nodded in complete agreement. "Yeah! He doesn't stand a chance against Jak!" Clank looked surprised and turned to Daxter. "You honestly believe that Jak could hunt better than Ratchet?" he said incredulously. Clank resisted the urge to laugh out loud.  
  
Daxter glared at Clank. "Of course he could. How much do you wanna bet?!" he growled. There was no way this giant furball could outhunt Jak. Before they too could start arguing, they were interrupted by Jak and Ratchet. The two of them had came to some sort of agreement. Ratchet shook Jak's hand and grinned. "Fine then. May the best _Lombax_ win." This was followed by a laugh from Jak. "You mean Elf."  
  
Clank walked up and tugged on Ratchet's pant leg. "What exactly are you doing?" he asked curiously. Ratchet grinned and loaded the blaster. "Putting Jak to shame." he replied coolly. Jak smirked and ignored him. "Think you're good? We start on the count of three." He glared over at Ratchet and braced himself. "One...-"  
  
"THREE!!" Ratchet shouted. He leapt from the doorway and out into the open, dragging Clank with him. The metal-heads were instantly alerted and began firing at Ratchet. Ratchet rolled to the side, avoiding the first rounds. "EAT LEAD, METAL-ASSES!" he shouted. He fired into the forest and three Cloakers fell to the ground. He turned back to the stunned Jak and winked. "Toodles!"  
  
With that said, he jumped back to his feet and slid down the rocky sides of the drop-off, disappearing into the woods. Three more shots were fired, followed by another Cloakers death cry. Jak snarled and exited the golden room, splitting off in another direction.  
  
Ratchet yelped and ducked behind a large stone as a bullet whizzed past his head. He had definitely underestimated these metal-heads. Clank was standing with his back against the stone and was panting. "RATCHET! You are going to get us both killed!" Ratchet smirked and ignored him. He twisted around and used the butt of his gun to knock out a Cloaker who had gotten to close. He fired two shots into it's head and yelled out triumphantly, "NINE!!!" From somewhere else in the woods came a reply from Jak. "TEN!" was Jak's reply. Ratchet cursed under his breath and check the surroundings.  
  
Clank glared at Ratchet from his hiding spot. "You are too careless, Ratchet!" Ratchet rolled his eyes and shot down two more metal- heads. "ELEVEN!" He shouted. The firing in the area had ceased. He peeked over and glanced around quickly. He leapt from the hiding spot and ducked under a tree. There were no shots. His ears flattened back against his head as he stood up and stepped from his hiding spot. This area was clear.  
  
He searched the area as he made his way to another part of the forest. He heard more gunshots and followed them. He heard a metal-head screech and then Daxter's voice rang out. "HA! WE'VE GOT THIRTEEN!" Ratchet snarled under his breath. He was not willing to lose to Jak and Daxter.  
  
Ratchet perked up his ears and listened into the woods, trying to track their voices. He heard multiple shots fired and ran in the direction. He heard more shots fired then a whoop of triumph. Another metal-head had fallen. Two more shots rang out then a low clicking sound. Jak swore and he heard Daxter give a pathetic whimper. They were out of ammo.  
  
Ratchet rounded the edge came up to frightening sight. Jak was surrounded by six metal-head Cloakers. All had their guns pointed at him. No ammo? He didn't have a chance. Ratchet picked up his weapon and nearly panicked. He had seven bullets left. That would be enough to kill two and wound one. He leapt from the ledge and prepared to attack, but was stopped by a brilliant flash of dark purple electricity.  
  
He staggered back and his eyes widened in fear at what stood before him. Still surrounded by metal-heads, a dark beast had taken Jak's place. It was Jak... just evil... The pale face turned and stared at all the Cloakers fearlessly. His skin had changed to a near white along with his hair. Large horns stood from his head and the clawed hands flexed dangerously. Dark Jak's black eyes glared at the Lombax standing shocked a few feet away from him with disinterest. Those cold eyes sent chills down Ratchet's spine.  
  
Dark Jak reared up and raised his deadly hands into the air as he leapt up. By the time Daxter had noticed Ratchet, it was too late to stop Jak from applying an attack. As Jak erupted from the ground, Daxter opened his mouth and screamed for Ratchet to run.  
  
Ratchet took a step back, but it was too late. Jak landed the Dark Bomb perfectly and the power exploded around him and branched out. Ratchet cried out in agony as the blast shattered past him. The last thing he was aware of as he fell back to the ground was a blinding flash of red... then darkness enveloped him.

**Well, there it is folks! Here's chapter five! Please excuse the cliffy. I promise to update soon! As always, R/R!**


	6. Chapter Six

**Hi People! Squabbit here! I want to apologize for the late update! I mean it! I actually had most of this done; I was just never satisfied with the way it kept turning out. It was really bugging the hell out of me. Anyhow, I'm still not happy with it, mainly because it felt so forced. The next chapter is still moving slowly. I'll consider giving you a minnie preview at the end if I'm not rambling on about something I don't like. Okay... I'm rambling. Shutting up right about... now...**

**Now to thank all my reviewers! I love you guys! huggles**

**Hellmouth2: I thought it was nice at first, but now that I look back, it was a pretty crappy scene. Don't sue me. LOL. I also did get that idea from LOTR. I just tweaked it a bit. Back to the 'I know you' scene. I think you may like this next chapter, because of that... I think. By the way, you're idea's really helped! Thanks!**

**Rachael: Aww Thanks hun! hugs I don't think you'll like this chapter very much. I have to admit that the ending was pretty poopy.**

**Ekobean: In honor of your review, I shall do the thriller dance. Ha. Not really... Thank you though!**

**Angelgardian666: Well, my dear angelguardian, I do wish to apologize for the late update. Don't hurt me! hides**

**ShiroNekoNyao: Your ideas? LOVE THEM! As said previously, I redid a lot of Clank's conversations. Man, did I feel like a geek when you told me that! LOL. And promise to be patient about the weapons thing. I PROMISE that it's coming up. Maybe not in the next chapter, but it will be VERY soon! Honestly! Again, I really want to thank you for being so kind to me in your review. Flames scare me.**

**Weirdo: sobs That is the awsomest thing EVER! hugs You guys are all so cool! I mean that. I love your idea and I do plan on using. Actually, I might in the next chapter. I've only got like half a page done on it, but it's pretty nice. **

**Sandy87: I saw your site and it's SOOOOO cool! I seriously loved it. I think it'll help me with future difficulties. I also want to thank you for being so helpful and kind to me. You're review was so nice! It really made me feel good!**

**Lunatic Pandora1: Well, your questions answered in this chapter. Cheers!**

**Oracle Apprentice: Yep. Clank's not the happiest camper around the village.**

**Lady Tsuru: Ever the vocal person, aren't we? LOL. Thanks for the review!**

Jak fell to his knees, trembling violently as he tried to regain control over himself. He sat still for a few moments until he was sure he would be able to stand. As he stood up, he was aware of the lack of weight on his shoulder. Jak looked down to see Daxter staring at him with a frightened expression and laughed. "Aw, come one, Dax. It's not like you haven't seen me transform before."

Daxter didn't return the smile, but pointed behind Jak. "Jak... Do you have any idea what you've just done?" he said in a small voice. Jak frowned slightly and turned around wondering what Daxter was all worked up about. Jak's eyes widened at the sight and he stepped back in shock.

All around Jak, the circle of dead metal-heads lay toppled upon on another, their bodies burnt and blackened from the eco. Laying a couple feet from a stiffened Cloaker, Ratchet's body contrasted sharply with the metal-head's pelts.

"Y-you don't remember seeing him, do you?"

Daxter's voice shook as he looked up at Jak. "Ratchet came around the edge just as you changed. You turned and looked straight at him! Didn't you recognize him?" Daxter's voice rose with panic and he began pacing nervously. Jak stared at Ratchet's body, unable to tear his eyes off the sight. He couldn't remember anything that had happened while he was Dark Jak.

Clank ran as fast as his tiny legs would let him, following Ratchet's trail. Ratchet had ran ahead when he heard Jak's sounds of distress, leaving Clank behind. Clank paused, looking up at a ledge. He'd have to use his thruster pack to scale this one. He equipped the item, but before he could use it the ground shook violently and he was knocked off his feet. He toppled over and rolled down the hill he had been climbing up.

Cursing his luck, Clank got back and shook the dust from his joints. Feeling to lazy to climb back up, he used the Thrusterpack to fly up to the ledge and over it. Ratchet was somewhere nearby, he could sense it. He followed a trail around a bend and stopped to see a painful sight.

Jak and Daxter's backs were turned to him as they stared at something. Clank stared at the smoldering bodies around them with curiosity. He walked up to Jak and Daxter. "What exactly is wrong?" he asked. Jak turned around sharply and stared down at Clank while Daxter pointed to Ratchet.

Clank's mouth fell open and he ran to Ratchet's side, ignoring the two behind him. "Ratchet? RATCHET? What happened? Speak to me!!" He nudged his friend frantically. Jak came up from behind, followed very closely by Daxter. Jak leaned down and pushed the closest Cloaker away so that he had room. Daxter shoved ahead of Jak and stood on Ratchet's chest, staring into his face.

"What happened to him?" Clank's voice was desperate. "He got in the way... Jak was executing an attack and he was too close..." said Daxter. Clank looked furious. The small robot turned to face Jak and gave him the nastiest look he could muster.

"What were you thinking?" he said angrily. "Performing such an astonishing attack at such high risks?" he squeaked. "Do tell me, Jak. Is there something seriously wrong with your head?" he questioned rudely. Jak stared at Clank, his face dangerously neutral. "Maybe your furry pal should have gotten out of the way!" he replied coolly.

Clank clenched his fist and puffed up. "How was he supposed to know what was going to happen?" he replied. Jak snarled and glared at Clank. "I'd highly suggest-"

"Shutting up?" Clank interrupted. "That would be a good idea, my elvin friend. Right now, our main concern is Ratchet's well-being, no thanks to you." Clank turned away while Daxter bounded up and sat on Ratchet's chest. Daxter sniffed Ratchet curiously then shouted dramatically. "NOOOO!!! Jak? What have you done?"

Out of desperation, Daxter grabbed Ratchet by the collar of his tunic and shook him forcefully. "Come on, Ratchet! You can't be dead! Come on..." There was no reaction from the Lombax.

As Daxter shook Ratchet, something popped into Jak's head. His eyes narrowed as he studied Ratchet's body. Why hadn't his body been blackened like the metal-heads? As impossible as it seemed, Ratchet may still be alive. "Stop, Dax! I think he's still alive!" he said quickly. When Daxter continued to rattle Ratchet, Jak gave an exasperated sigh. "Would you stop?! You'll really kill him that way!" As Jak pried Daxter away from Ratchet, he noticed something odd. He instantly let go of Daxter and let his hand hover over Ratchet's chest. Heat seemed to be radiating from the Lombaxian's pelt. His form was warm... Too warm to dead. Excitedly, Jak lowered his hand to check Ratchet's pulse.

As his hand came into contact with Ratchet's skin, Jak's eyes widened in sudden pain in surprise. He cried out and jerked his hand back, gritting his teeth to stop himself from yelling again. Clank and Daxter fixed him with surprised eyes as he clutched his hand.

"He burnt me!" he said angrily. Clank and Daxter exchanged glances and approached Jak. He held out his hand for them to see. Where his skin had come into contact with Ratchet, deep red blisters had begun to form. Jak tore his attention from his hand to check on Daxter. He grabbed Daxter's hands, much to his protest and held them up for him to see. The fur on his hands was slightly singed. Daxter was lucky he didn't grab Ratchet by the neck or his hands would be in worse shape than Jak's.

A movement from Ratchet caused the trio to temporarily forget about the odd burns. Ratchet was beginning to wake up. The Lombax moaned and rolled over, using his hands to support his upper body. He opened his eyes and stared down at the ground, feeling dizzy. He blinked a few times and shook his head, trying to get his bearings. It didn't help that he could hardly see. What he could see what outlined in red shadows.

Clank yelled with joy and started towards Ratchet, but was stopped by Daxter. Daxter tried to pull him back away. "What the heck are you thinking? You wanna get melted?" he asked rudely. Clank sighed and shoved Daxter's hands away. "For your information, I am equipped with the most advanced heat shielding system out there. If what you say is true, then Ratchet will do me no harm." He stomped away from Jak and Daxter and up to his friend.

"Ratchet? Are you okay?" he questioned. Ratchet looked towards the sound of the voice. He looked down at what he presumed to be the outline of Clank. Clank looked up at Ratchet, concerned. "Ratchet?" he questioned again. Ratchet swallowed hard and tried to sit up, but his arms gave out from beneath him. He fell roughly to his side and closed his eyes. Clank watched him with dismay.

"Can you hear me?" Clank asked. Ratchet pinned his ears back, annoyed. Couldn't Clank see that he wanted to be left alone? "I'm perfectly fine." he snarled. Clank frowned and came to Ratchet's side. "I beg to differ." he said calmly. "Do you need help sitting up?" Clank asked gently. Ratchet let out a long sigh that sounded more a hiss. "If I needed your help, I would have asked."

"What on Veldin is your problem, Ratchet?" Clank snapped back. "Quite frankly, I am getting sick of your attitude!" Before Ratchet could object, Clank grabbed his arm and shoved him into a sitting position. "Is that better?" Ratchet stared at him with surprise. He'd never seen Clank this upset. He grinned sheepishly. "Whoa there Clank. Don't bite my head off!" Clank gave him a rather smug look and cast a glare over his shoulder at Jak and Daxter.

Without another look at Jak, Daxter bounded over to Ratchet and Clank. "Man, you are one lucky Lombax, Ratchet!" he exclaimed. He took another timid step forward, but didn't get to close. "Jak and I thought you were dead for sure!"

At the mention of Jak, the fur on Ratchet's neck stiffened in silent fear. His hand shot out and grasped his blaster. With a burst of strength, he used the blaster to push himself off the ground, biting back a yelp of pain. He staggered, but caught his balance. A movement caught his attention and he glared over at the red form of Jak. He felt his ears droop slightly as Jak returned his hard gaze.

Jak made a move to walk forward and Ratchet brought the gun up, aiming it for his heart. Jak looked slightly surprised, but quickly regained his composure while Ratchet watched him with obvious fear. "What the hell are you?" he demanded. Jak clenched his fist and kept his distance. "I'm not going to hurt you, Ratchet..." He raised his hands up and walked forward.

When Jak stepped forward, Ratchet's finger tightened on the trigger. "Why should I believe you? I saw what you did. You... changed." Jak lowered his hands and frowned.

Before Jak could do anything he would regret, Daxter stepped in. He clambered up to his usual perch on Jak's shoulder. "Jak! What are you doing?" he exclaimed. "Just tell him what happened!" Jak ignored Daxter and returned Ratchet's glare. "I asked you a question." Ratchet said coldly.

Jak grit his teeth. He had not ammo and he had used up his dark powers. He could try to get past Ratchet, but it would be hopeless. There was no doubt in his mind that Ratchet would gun him down. He probably would too if he were in Ratchet's place. He took a deep breath. "I'll tell you what happened, but you have to lower you're weapon..."

Ratchet paused, considering it. "Not until you answer my first question." he said. Jak rolled his eyes angrily. This was getting extremely annoying. "Listen. What happened was a complete accident. I lost control... I..." he trailed off, not knowing how to explain his powers.

"Do you remember what it was like in the Baron's fortress?" Jak asked. Ratchet's grip on the weapon loosened slightly. "How does this relate to our conversation?" he asked dryly.

"I know what they did to you." Jak's voice was cold and Ratchet involuntarily found him himself backing up against the cliff-wall. His ears flattened back and his voice wavered in a desperate reply. "You have no idea. You don't know the half of it. What it's like to-"

"Be pumped full of Eco?" Jak interrupted. "Yes. Yes I do. I was there. I went through everything you did, Ratchet. Don't you remember me? The little blonde kid?"

The gun slipped from Ratchet's fingers and landed with a hollow clunk onto the ground, but Ratchet didn't seem to notice. That was why Jak had seemed so familiar. He was an idiot for not noticing it sooner. Ratchet averted his gaze away from Jak and found himself staring at the ground instead. "I...I thought they had killed you." Ratchet's voice shook. "After they took off with you, I thought you were dead!"

Jak continued to stare Ratchet down. "Obviously not." he said matter-of-factly. "Now that we've cleared that up, will I be allowed to answer your first question with you killing me?" Jak's voice hinted sarcasm. Ratchet cast a longing look at the blaster lying a couple feet away, before nodding weakly. "Fire away." he replied back.

Jak took a deep breath before talking. "While I was in the prison, the baron used me to test the effects of Dark Eco. By pumping a little more into me each day, he observed that my body began holding the dark eco. Instead of killing me, like it should have, my body was absorbing it. I could even absorb small amounts painlessly at times. As fascinating as this was, it was beginning to grow old in the Baron's eyes. After the fifth month of just eco absorptions, he grew bored. Praxis began trying new things. Some included injecting the eco directly into your bloodstream. Let's just say that didn't work to well. One of his worst ideas.

"Anyways, he began to get frustrated with his lack of success and began blaming me. Nearly a year and a half into my time there, he decided that he would just kill me off. I was wasting his time. Praxis overdosed the eco container for the laser and set up to time to unbearable limits. He thought he would kill me off that way. Thankfully for me, it didn't. It was far more pain that I had even felt in my time there and after that 'treatment', I was unconscious for three days straight. The baron enjoyed taking his anger out on me and within a few weeks, these ways of injections became most popular with him.

"I had been in the prison for two years when Daxter found me. On that day, I discovered the experiments weren't quite as useless as the baron had thought them to be. I learned that I could change into the creature you saw today on my free will. It offered a powerful way to attack. Unfortunately, as also demonstrated today, I can't control what I do in my darker form."

Jak stepped forward towards Ratchet, raising his hands in the air in mock defeat. "So, now that you know what kind freak I am, there's your gun." He motioned towards the blaster lying on the ground. "Shoot me. It's not like I'm going anywhere."

Ratchet felt pinned against the ledge as Jak stepped closer. He avoided Jak's hard stare, but didn't glance down at the weapon again. His mouth remained clamped shut and he didn't reply back. Jak smirked at Ratchet's near submission. "Not the tough guy anymore?" he drawled out. Ratchet's fist clenched, but he still didn't look at Jak.

"Jak? May I ask you a question?" Clank's voice caused Ratchet and Jak to jumped in surprise. Both had forgotten about Daxter and the robot. Jak's eyes narrowed and he peeled his attention from Ratchet. "What is it?" he asked the robot. Clank stepped forward and stood between the two. "It is quite obvious that Ratchet has gone through the same as you. Am I correct?" he asked. Jak nodded in reply and Clank continued. "If so, then is it possible that he may have some of the same powers as you?"

Jak paused, looking between Clank and the Lombax. For some reason, he didn't like the idea of there being another so-called 'eco-freak'. Especially one with possible powers like his. "Doubtfully..." he said slowly. "Besides, if he did have powers, they would have shown through by now." he finished. Clank thought a moment. "They already have!" he said brightly. Ratchet's eyes narrowed at Clank's exclamation. He shoved his hands in his pockets and listened quietly to what Clank had to say.

Clank's eyes lit up and he nodded towards Ratchet. "There are some signs. They are small, but should be looked into. First of all, what about Ratchet's constant mood-changes lately?" Jak shrugged in reply. "Mood-changes could be triggered by anything." he stated firmly.

Clank agreed. "Of course they could. There are more though. Doesn't the fact that Ratchet lived through your attack bother you at all?" Clank questioned. "He should be dead along with the metal-heads." Jak had a hard time explaining this.

"Stroke of luck?" Daxter piped in. Ratchet, feeling sorely neglected interrupted. "I'm still here, ya know..." The three looked at him and Clank gave an irritated sigh. "If his survival is not enough to convince you, then how about your burns?"

Thoroughly peeved, Ratchet cleared his throat. "Excuse me? I said I'm STILL STANDING HERE!" Clank cast a quick look in Ratchet's direction and nodded quickly. "Yes. Yes you are." He turned his attention again to Jak who was studying his blistered hands.

"Dark Eco wouldn't do that though." Jak replied. He cast a baffled look in Clank's direction, showing him his hands. "Well, then how else would you explain it?" Clank asked.

Ratchet sighed angrily "HEY! I'm talking to you!" he snarled. Daxter glanced over at Ratchet and replied sarcastically, "Hey! "We're ignoring you!" Ratchet's tail flicked in agitation as the three began to return to their conversation. He took a step forward, but was stopped by an icy stare from Jak. His ears fell back against his head and he shrank back away from them. Jak frowned and tore his eyes from Ratchet.

"Listen. I don't know how to explain what's going on with him. I say we just leave this forest, talk to Sig, then drop you two off. We can meet up some other time to discuss this. Besides the sun will be up within the next hour and we can't risk that with the hairball around." He jabbed his finger at the rather pissed looking Lombax.

Clank nodded in agreement. "He is right, Ratchet. We should go now." Ratchet nodded, but didn't say anything at all to the trio. By the looks of things, this was about as good as it was going to get for him here in Haven City.

The trip back to Keira's home went by quickly. Jak drove in silence while Clank and Daxter argued about random things. Ratchet listened to them quietly. Their endless banter helped soothe his nerves. Every since the end of the hunt, Jak had refused to even acknowledge Ratchet's presence. The only time he had paid him any mind was when he had tried to say something earlier.

Ratchet sighed, leaning back into the seat for comfort as they pulled into the race garage. The vehicle's engine hummed as Jak slowed the machine. Clank hopped from the hover craft with Ratchet following behind. Before Ratchet got far, Jak stopped him roughly. Ratchet turned around and stared at him with a curious, but respectful look. Jak's eyes narrowed and he stepped back. "Think you've got powers? You can prove it tomorrow. Be ready to go at midnight."

Before Ratchet could reply, Jak turned on his heel and stalked back to his hovercraft without a look back. Ratchet exchanged a nervous glance with Clank before making his way back to Keira's.

**Ah, poopy. I really don't like this ending. I think it's pretty crap-tastic. LOL. Anyhow, I suppose I'll update ASAP. This time I'm for real!**


	7. Chapter Seven

Ratchet had hardly made it through the door when Keira assaulted him. She yanked him into the house, slamming the door behind him. "What the HECK where you thinking?" She cried out. "You could've been killed, or WORSE, caught by Praxis!" She said all this while jamming her finger in his chest. "I can't believe you!"

She placed her foot in front of Clank, who was trying to sneak off. "And you! Clank, of all the sane people here, you let him go?! You even went with him!" She yelled. Clank looked up at Ratchet, who shrugged. Their carelessness about the situation seemed to set her off even more.

"That's it! You two are grounded!" She yelled in Ratchet's face. A grin spread across Clank's features. "Grounded?" He said incredulously. This was followed by a snort from Ratchet as he tried to hold in his laughter. Keira looked furious.

"YES! You two are grounded! Neither of you are to leave this house!" Ratchet held up his hands and slipped by Keira. "You can't be serious..." he said. Keira grabbed him and twisted his arm back painfully. "Remember, LOMBAX! You live in my house. Because of this, I OWN YOU! You will not sleep, eat, or so much as BLINK without my say-so. If you even THINK about sneaking out, I will find you and make the rest of your life living HELL!"

She shoved him away and glared at him. "Now, because it's almost five-in-the-morning, and daylight's creeping, neither of you will be going to sleep. I've got some work for you." She shot a nasty look at Clank. "That goes for you too!" Without another word, she stomped away, into the kitchen. Ratchet muttered a rude comment under his breath while rubbing his sore arm. "I HEARD THAT!" Keira screeched.

Ratchet flinched as a pan was slammed down and looked at Clank. "So, I guess this means we're grounded, huh?"

Ratchet sighed as he placed the last dish in the drainer. He checked the time and groaned. It wasn't even noon. So far, he and Clank had been forced to clean and vacuum the living room, dust, sweep and mop the kitchen and now they had just finished the dishes. Ratchet watched as Clank dried the dish and placed it in Keira's cupboard.

"Just look at the bright side of things, Ratchet! We've done just about all we can do. Pretty soon we won't have anything else to clean!"

"Oh I wouldn't say that..."

Ratchet moaned at the sound of Keira's voice. "Ooh goodie! I bet you've got another joyful job for us, huh?" he asked with mock glee. Keira grinned and nodded. "You're damn straight." She replied. "I've been thinking and I suppose you guys have been punished enough for today. I have one more job for you two. Sound good?"

Ratchet thought about this for a moment. "Do I have a choice?" He asked hopefully. Keira sniffed and turned away. "Fat chance, Hairball. Now follow me." She walked briskly from the kitchen. Ratchet and Clank exchanged glances, shrugged and followed.

Keira led them down some stairs and into her garage. Heaps of tools were lying around everywhere along with random vehicle parts. Quickly said, it was a complete wreck. Keira grinned and stepped out of their way. "Have fun boys. I want this garage in perfect condition when I come back later. The tools need to be sorted out, along with the parts. If you have time, consider mopping too." That said, she trotted back up the steps and slammed the door behind her.

Ratchet looked around the messy garage with mixed feelings. Being here brought back memories of home. With a sigh, he got to work.

Time passed quickly as he and Clank tried to sort out all of her belongings. Keira came back to check up on them an hour later and seemed surprised to actually see Ratchet and Clank working. "This is all you have done?" She asked incredulously. Ratchet clenched his teeth and bit back a nasty comeback. Clank sensed this and turned to Keira. "All you tools have been sorted out. We have started on the parts, but it may be a while."

Keira nodded and backed off. "Well, just give me a ring when you're done." She bounced back up the stairs and shut the door. When she was out of hearing distance, Ratchet threw the tool he had been holding across the garage. It slammed into the wall with a loud ring. He took a shaky breath and avoided Clank's sharp gaze. "Ratchet? We're supposed to be cleaning the garage. Not tearing it apart." Ratchet rolled his eyes and turned away, picking up a steering wheel and choosing instead to study the designs on it. "This is going to be a long day..." he muttered.

Clank eyed him with a concerned look, and said no more. Ratchet shoved aside a pile of bolts with his foot, and sat down on the ground. He picked up one of the bolts and studied it. It brought back memories of home and Ratchet smiled slightly. He pocketed the worthless item, knowing Keira wouldn't miss it.

Clank glared at Ratchet, frowning upon the meager act. He walked up, his footprints echoing in the now silent garage. "We should get to work, Ratchet. This way we can have the work done for later tonight." Ratchet gave his friend a slightly baffled look and Clank sighed. "Don't tell me you have already forgotten about what Jak said." he said. The robot's voice tinted annoyance.

Ratchet groaned when he remembered that he had to meet Jak. That was definitely something he wasn't going to be looking forward too. "Do we have to actually go?" he whined. Clank snorted in disgust. "Of course we do, Ratchet.... And quit whining. You sound like a pup." Ratchet glared at Clank. "Jak can't stand me. Odds are, it's not going to be a friendly visit."

Clank nodded knowingly. "Probably not, but Jak may be able to help you with your powers." Ratchet paused in quiet contemplation. The thought of actually having true powers was amazing and frightening at the same time. Not wanting to speak about it, Ratchet sighed and stood up. "We'll worry about that when the time comes. For now, let's just finish cleaning up this mess."

Ratchet looked around the garage with relief. He and Clank had finished nearly everything and it was only three o'clock. He approached a large set of shelves and ran his finger along the bottom shelf. The small movement brought up dust and Ratchet sneezed involuntarily.

"This is the last thing we have to go through. There doesn't look like there's very much here, so it shouldn't be too hard." Ratchet observed while rubbing his nose. He glanced up, taking note of what was on the shelves. The first bottom two shelves were empty. The third had a few jars on it and the top two were too high up to see.

Grabbing a rag from Clank, Ratchet cleaned off the first two shelves. He tossed the rag down and reached up, pulling three medium-sized jars from the third shelf. He pulled up a stool and sat down, beckoning Clank towards him.

"What do you reckon is in here?" he asked with mild curiosity. Clank narrowed his eyes, frowning upon Ratchet's wandering mind. "I do not think it is any of our business."Clank replied. Ratchet snorted back a laugh and shook one of the jars. A loud ringing noise was produced and Ratchet popped the lid off. "This is Keira we're talking about." he said casually. "It's probably just filled with junk." he explained.

Ratchet shook the contents into his hand and chuckled, holding them out to Clank. "See? Nothing but a few dusty bolts." he exclaimed. He looked inside the other two jars and smirked. "Same thing in these two." He set the jars down and dropped the handful of bolts carelessly, while Clank studied them intently. "I wonder why Keira would have these ones put away though?" Clank mused out loud.

Ratchet shrugged in reply. "I don't know. 'Cause she's strange like that?" He shoved the thought from his head and looked up at the top two shelves, pondering as to how to reach them. Clank meanwhile picked up one of the dropped bolts and peered at it intently.

Ratchet grabbed the stool he'd been sitting on and dragged it over to the shelves. He stood up on it, reaching up for the shelf.

"Ah, Ratchet?" Clank said timidly. Ratchet sighed in slight exasperation while straining his arm forward. "What is it Clank?" he asked. Clank paused for a moment. "I think you should investigate these bolts." Ratchet's hand touched something cold and hard and he grinned to himself.

"They're just ordinary bolts, Clank." Ratchet said calmly as his hand gripped the large object on the shelf. "No, Ratchet." Clank began to argue. "You're not going to believe this, but-" Ratchet leaned backwards to pull the object off the shelf and yelped in sudden surprise as he lost balance and toppled over onto Clank.

Ratchet landed painfully on his rump and Clank's muffled voice could be heard. "Ratchet? Gemph off mee!" he squeaked. Ratchet stood up, rubbing his sore behind. He looked up at the shelf and was surprised to see the object topple off the shelf. It fell and landed neatly on his head, producing a string of curses from the Lombax. Ratchet caught the item before it crashed to the ground and brought it to his face to study.

It was an Wrench. Not just any ordinary wrench, but the fully upgraded, powerful and surprisingly dusty OmniWrench8000.

In shock, Ratchet dropped the wrench, instantly regretting it. The tool/weapon landed on his foot with a loud crunch and Ratchet yelled in desperate frustration. "WHY THE HELL IS THE WORLD OUT TO GET ME TODAY?!?!?!" He shrieked loudly. "WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE YOUR WRATH, OH GOD-OF-THESE-STRANGE-ELF-PEOPLE?!"

He groaned and glanced down at the wrench, confused surprise etched clearly on his features. "Clank... Is that?... B-But it can't be... can it?" Ratchet stammered. Clank looked just surprised. "As impossible as the odds are, I believe that may be your wrench!" Clank exclaimed. Ratchet narrowed his eyes and picked up the wrench carefully. "How would Keira have gotten this?"Ratchet questioned.

Clank cleared his throat and tugged at Ratchet's pant leg. "This brings me to the next topic, Ratchet. Those bolts that were up there are not just an ordinary bolts. They are from Veldin!" Stunned, the Lombax sank to his knees hugging the wrench to his chest. "That's impossible, Clank..." Ratchet said slowly. "Everything was destroyed in the crash."

Clank shook his head and set down one of the bolts down next to his friend. "Apparently not." he said coldly. Ratchet set the wrench down gently and picked up the bolt, studying it. "You're right!" he said with growing excitement. "We have to find out where Keira got this. There may be more left!"

As if on cue, the garage door flew open and Keira bounced in happily. She stopped when she saw Ratchet and Clank. "Uh... You two okay?" she asked. Ratchet picked up the wrench and fixed her with a baffled stare. "Where did you get this?" he asked slowly. Keira looked slightly taken aback and walked over, studying the wrench.

"Oh, that hunk of junk?" she questioned. Ratchet bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from a nasty retort. "This isn't a piece of junk." he replied coldly. Clank looked between the two, sensing the sudden tension. "Where did you get this?"Ratchet asked again. This time his voice was dangerously low. The seriousness about the situation made Keira even more nervous and she began wringing her hands.

"That wrench was given to me by a friend." she said quickly. Ratchet set the tool down and picked up one of the bolts. "And these?" he asked. Keira looked between the two. "The same guy gave those to me. I didn't know what they were and I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I just stuck them up on the shelf. I guess I just forget about them..." she trailed off.

"Who gave them to you?" Ratchet asked her. Keira answered instantly. "His name's Erol. He works for the Baron and-" Ratchet's head snapped up and his ears pinned back against his head angrily. "I know who he is." he interrupted darkly. Keira looked uncomfortable and stepped back. "Oh... I can ask him where he got the stuff. I mean, I'm sure he's got some more lying around his place."

"That won't be necessary." Ratchet replied after a moment of silence. Keira tore her eyes away from his piercing glare, visibly shuddering. The hatred burning in his usually soft emerald gaze had her cowed. Clank looked between his two friends, surprised yet again by Ratchet's sudden change of mood.

Ratchet held his stare on Keira a moment longer then looked over at Clank. "I guess this means we're done... Unless Keira has something else left for us to do." His voice dripped with icy sarcasm and Clank looked at him disapprovingly. Keira shook her head, still avoiding his glare.

"Good." Ratchet stated flatly. He jumped to his feet and picked up the wrench and bolts. "I'll be taking these with me." he said as he passed her. He said nothing more as he left.

Keira flinched as the door slammed behind him. She looked to Clank, her expression pleading for an explanation. Clank, however, looked more confused than she.

Ratchet stood in the middle of his room, his body enveloped by the rich moonlight that shown down through his window. He looked around the room, wrench in hand. He marveled at how perfectly the tool fit into his grip. It was as though the wrench was an extension of his arm.

The Lombax ran his hand along the edges, wincing as it cut through his glove and nicked his finger. "Amazing." he whispered into the emptiness around him. "Nearly three years and it's still sharp..."

A small smile forming on his features, he crouched down into a stealth position. His eyes darted around the room, imagining the foes of his youth. With amazing speed, he exploded into action. He sprang forward, slicing the wrench in front of him. Without pause he leapt into the air, his body turning gracefully back to attack the 'enemies' behind him.

The wrench came down with a ringing slam. Ratchet stopped, still crouched in his attack position. He perked his ears up, wondering if the sound of his game had reached the ears of the others. No doubt it had.

He stood up calmly and placed the wrench down gently on his bed. He walked over to his window, peering down outdoors with feigned interest. As expected, someone knocked lightly on the door. Ratchet didn't reply and the door creaked open. Keira peered in, eyeing Ratchet's back.

"Uh... Do you know what that noise was?" she asked. Ratchet didn't turn back to face her, nor did he reply. Keira looked slightly frustrated and stepped through into the room. When Ratchet still didn't acknowledge her presence, she sighed deeply and walked to him.

"I asked you a question." she said quietly. Ratchet smirked and turned towards her. Keira returned the heated look, trying to see past his callous act.

"And I ignored you." Ratchet replied casually.

Keira looked at him, not knowing how to reply. Ratchet smirked at her quiet response. "It was the guards." He finally said. "The people were becoming unruly and a new guard fired into the crowd." Keira didn't look surprised. "Figures." she replied. Keira peered out the window and looked slightly confused. "Everything looks okay..." she said suspiciously.

"The guard got everything under control." Ratchet retorted. "Besides, if you were out there, would you challenge the guard if you were unarmed?" Keira looked slightly hurt. "What is your problem?" she challenged.

Ratchet's eyes narrowed and he eyed her with sudden distaste. "I don't see any problems." he replied smugly. Keira clenched her fist, fantasizing ways to wipe the arrogant look off his face. "Well I do!" she snapped back.

Ratchet quirked an eyebrow in her direction and shrugged. "I'm sorry." he said sarcastically. "Is there anything I can you do to please you?" Keira stepped back, shaking her head.

"Who are you?" she asked suddenly. Ratchet paused, fixing her with a baffled stare. "I mean, honestly!" Keira continued. "Your personality and emotions fluctuate so much that I don't even know who you really are. I know nothing about you."

Ratchet didn't respond. Her reply had stung him and he found himself weighing her words in his head. Why did she have to do this to him? His ears flattened back against his head and he turned away from her.

"Why do you hide yourself?" she asked softly. Ratchet frowned and glared at her. "What are you talking about?" he replied.

"You're emotions." she said. "Since you've been here, I've really noticed a lot about you." Ratchet half-laughed and shook his head. "Tell me then." he responded darkly. "What do you think you know about me?"

Keira watched the anger cloud his features and shook her head sadly. "I know that you're in great pain right now." she said quietly. Keira could tell that she'd hit the mark. "You use anger to mask your sorrow... Why?"

Ratchet trembled furiously as her words sunk in. What right did she have to ask him such questions? He grit his teeth and spun to face her. "My feelings are none of your business!" he spat back.

Keira didn't look surprised at his outburst. "You're doing it right now." she explained calmly. "You're trying to cover yourself up." Ratchet looked at her with horror. The fact that she was taking his reactions in stride seemed to set him off even more. "I'm not covering anything up!" he snapped back desperately.

Keira continued as if she had never heard him. "You hide your pain because you feel that by showing strong emotions, you're showing weakness."

"Shut up."Ratchet's voice shook with anger, but Keira still pressed onward.

"You don't want anyone to know that you're hurting."

"I said shut up..."

"You feel embarrassed and betrayed... You become vulnerable."

Ratchet tried to ignore her words. He tried to push away the truth in what she said. As much as he tried though, he couldn't. Keira's honest observations cut through him like a blade and there was nothing he could do about it.

"You don't want to become vulnerable though. So you hide away. Instead of facing your fears, you run away from them like a coward!"

She had gone too far. Ratchet, blinded by his rage, retaliated against her words. He lashed out furiously, knocking her roughly into the wall. Before she could comprehend what was going on, he had her pinned back painfully.

"You think you know everything." he yelled. "Call me a coward! Call me whatever you want!" He lowered his head, bringing his face only a few inches from her terrified visage. "You will never know what I went through..." he hissed. "NEVER!" He swallowed hard and continued. His voice had become a dangerous whisper. "You don't know the first thing about pain... or true sorrow."

Keira returned his deadly stare with terror. Out of instinct, she attempted to twist herself from his grasp. Infuriated by her struggles, Ratchet raised his hand as though to strike her. Keira's eyes followed his hand and a chocked sob escaped her lips.

Her sob seemed to bring Ratchet back to reality and he froze where he was, his hand still poised in midair. His eyes wandered down her neck and rested on the dark red area where he had hit her just moments ago. His hand fell limply to his side when he realized what he had done. Ratchet let go of Keira as if she had burned him and took a step back. His dark hatred had been replaced suddenly by an overwhelming sense guilt and self-disgust. He took another step back away from her, completely avoiding her. He said the only thing he could force out.

"Leave."

Keira didn't need to be told twice. She gave him a frightened glance as she swept past him and out the door. As soon as the door clicked shut, he found he could no longer contain himself. With an anguished cry, he slammed his fist into the place where Keira had been. The shattering pain in his hand was nothing compared to the agony he felt inside.

"What have I done?"


	8. Chapter Eight

**OKAY! Hello everyone! Squabbit here! Let me apologize for the amazingly late update on the last chapter. I had it written. I was just too lazy to come and post it. This was easy for me to write though. I finished it a few days after that last one. I have to say that the last chapter was one of my favorites also. I really like the way it ran along. I also like the view you get into Ratchet. Anyhow, I'm working hard on the next chapter and it should be done by the end of this week. I won't promise a posting date on that though. Aheh... sweatdrops Thank you everyone for your insane patience with me! Remember, I love you! hugs**

**TO MY REVIEWERS: I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT REPLYING OR WRITING ANYTHING AT ALL IN THE LAST CHAPTER. IT WAS MOSTLY DUE TO MY LAZINESS AT THE TIME. IF ANYONE CARES, I'VE BEEN SICK WITH MONO FOR THE PAST FOUR WEEKS AND AM JUST NOW GETTING OVER IT. I WASN'T IN THE MOOD TO REPLY TO ALL THOSE REVIEWS. LOOKING AT THE NUMBER I HAVE TO REPLY BACK TO NOW... WOWZERS. I SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE. gulps**

**Orlandobloomfn: You haven't played Ratchet and Clank? It's an awesome game! Rent it sometime!**

**Soran Marlovic: Thanks for your review. You made me feel good! LOL. I'm looking forward to hearing from you again!**

**Hellmouth2: Aww! Thank you so much! What would I do without you? I mean, seriously! You're like my singular support group. Well not quite group, but you get the hint! hugs**

**Lunatic Pandora1: Red Eco is supposed to represent fire. That's why Ratchet's body was so hot. The eco running through his body is like fire. Get it? Yeah, yeah. So it's not the most original, but throw me a freakin' bone here! I'm working my tail off! LOL. I'm just playing.**

**Oracle Apprentice: You know? I've been thinking about that for later on in my story, but I'm not quite sure yet. Thanks for the review!**

**Ekobean: Nope! I haven't given up on this fic. I really like it and don't intend on breaking it. :)**

**Lady Tsuru: Don't worry! I wasn't offended in the least bit! I was just being silly. LOL. Ratchet does get a transformation later on in the story.**

**Sanctus Sanguis: I'm glad you like the fic. I didn't think this many people would be interested in it! And thanks for reviewing again!**

**Weirdo: DREK? gasp! That is an awesome idea. I feel dumb for not thinking about it earlier. Thanks for sending me so many tips! I appreciate it!**

**Hellmouth2: (again) Your review made me blush. Thanks! I'm glad you really liked it. I'm not into writing the whole dark and moody thing, but I think I did okay in the last chapter.**

**Ekobean: (yet again) Thanks for continuing to read my story! And this takes place after the second game. I was going to have it take place after the first, but I made up my mind. :P**

**Lunatic Pandora1: (AGAIN. Lol) You have to remember that Ratchet has changed a lot too since his stay in Haven City. His temper-loss was partly related to the eco, but it was also related to the immense feeling of hopelessness and dread in his heart. You'll see that he's not really a bad guy though. He regrets his actions deeply. sniffs I'll give him a hug for you. :) **

Keira walked numbly out of Ratchet's room, shutting the door behind her. She made her way, zombie-like, into the main room where she slid into her large armchair. Clank, who was sitting on the ground a few feet away, looked up at her. He knew instantly that something was wrong.

Keira ignored Clank and found her hand subconsciously moving the place where Ratchet had hit her. Her hand slid down and rested upon the overstuffed arm of the chair.

"What is wrong?" Clank asked with concern. Keira's eyes darted to Clank and she smiled slightly. "Nothing." she replied quickly. She looked away from him and concentrated instead on the darkness outdoors.

Clank's eyes wandered to the place where Keira had just placed her hand and his eyes narrowed. "That is new." he said matter-of-factly. Keira didn't respond to him. Somehow, Clank already knew what had happened. "Did he hurt you?" he questioned instantly.

Keira fixed him with a frightened stare. "It's nothing!" she replied quickly! "Honestly, just don't worry about it!" Clank's eyes brightened with surprise. "Nothing? Miss. Keira, if he hurt you at all, an apology must be demanded!" Keira shook her head at his words. "No Clank! It's no big deal." she responded. Clank shook his head and sighed. "It is a great deal." he said calmly. Before she could argue, Clank stalked off furiously and knocked on Ratchet's door. There was no answer.

Clank opened the door anyways and found Ratchet sitting on his bed, head in hands. The Lombax hadn't seemed to notice the robot's presence. Clank walked over to Ratchet, staring up at him intently. "Do not ignore me, Ratchet." Clank stated flatly. His voice held a warning tone.

Ratchet peered at Clank from between his hands, not wanting to be at the end of his friend's anger. "What do you want?" he asked quietly. Clank crossed his hands over his chest. "How could you, Ratchet?" Clank asked grimly. Ratchet already knew what Clank was talking about. He didn't reply.

"Why would you hurt her?" Clank pressed. Ratchet averted his gaze to the floorboards. "I didn't mean to." he replied somberly. "I don't know what came over me..." his voice broke and he swallowed back the tears that threatened him. Clank shook his head angrily. "There is NO excuse for what you did." Clank said.

Ratchet didn't answer back. All the anger had left his system leaving him with the bitter taste of defeat. Clank would see right through him no matter what he did, so he didn't bother pretending.

"I am very disappointed in you." Clank replied after a moment of silence. Ratchet found himself trembling involuntarily and he grasped his hands together to stop them from shaking. That small statement had been the hardest to digest. "I'm sorry you feel that way." Ratchet answered back sarcastically.

Clank fixed him with an annoyed stare. "Do not get that attitude with me, Ratchet." Clank warned. A smirk found its way onto Ratchet's face. "Or else what?" he asked with growing cockiness.

One shock from Clank's zapper put Ratchet back in his place. Ratchet yelped painfully in response to the electrical shock. "Get over yourself, Ratchet!" Clank retorted angrily. "The world does not revolve around you, nor will it ever. You are not the only one going through difficulties!"The stunned Lombax fixed Clank with a surprised look and opened his mouth to reply.

Clank held up his hand to interrupt him and continued in a calmer tone. "I am tired of always being forced to walk thin-ice around you and your emotions. I will do it no more. I understand you being upset, but I do not approve of the methods you use to vent your anger." Clank stepped back and eyed Ratchet. "You cannot control what other people do or say to you, but you _can _control your reactions."

Ratchet let Clank's words sink in and didn't respond. Clank returned his stoic look and sighed. "I believe you owe Keira an apology." he stated firmly. "What about you?" The question was more of a demand and Ratchet nodded silently. Clank let his glare linger a moment before turning away and Ratchet watched him leave the room.

A few moments passed and Ratchet didn't move from his position. He let out a low moan and sank back into the bed, staring at the ceiling. He didn't want to talk to Keira, he didn't want to see Clank and he dreaded his meeting with Jak. He reached into his pocket, pulling out on of the bolts he'd found earlier that day.

"Wonder what they're doing up there." he wondered out loud. His eyes wandered over the bolt's surface, memorizing its every detail. Everyone on Veldin had probably given up on him. Odds were, his remaining family were fighting over his last belongings at this very moment. He shrugged carelessly. Let the bastards do what they wanted; see if he cared. Ratchet tossed the bolt across the room, suddenly disgusted by its appearance.

He checked the time and had to resist the urge to send the clock spinning after the bolt. It was eleven at night. He sat up and stretched. Where had the day gone?

Ratchet stepped out of the bedroom and padded quietly into the main room. Keira looked up at him for a split second then averted her gaze to the television. Clank was nowhere in sight.

Ratchet couldn't remember ever being this uncomfortable. His mind raced as he tried desperately to choke out something. There had to be something he could say to break the ice. Instead, he found himself turning his back on her. He had to get out of here.

He walked into his room, grabbing his newly acquired gun and wrench. He put the bolts in a small pouch and hung the pouch from his neck. He wouldn't be gone long. He just didn't feel right leaving without these belongings. Eyes narrowed, he walked into the main room. Clank was back from wherever he had been and gave Ratchet a suspicious look. "Just where exactly do you think you are going?" he asked.

Ratchet grabbed his cloak, swinging it over his broad shoulders and refusing to answer Clank. He opened the door, his ears honed for any response from Keira. When she didn't respond, he slipped out of the house, closing the door quietly behind him. The cool night air seemed to refresh him. Instinctively his soft green gaze rose up to the stars. The night was clouding over.

Ratchet sighed inwardly and stepped back into the shadows. He hadn't caught any attention. He slipped silently away from Keira's home, wanting to put as much distance between him and her as possible.

The sounds of the quieted street comforted him. A few guards and some people strode around, not catching notice of him.

A haughty grin found it's way on his lips as he flitted throughout the shadows of Haven City's nightlife. After being locked up for so long, it felt great to have some of his freedom back. Unfortunately, this didn't last long.

"Are we there _yet_?" cried out a familiar and very whiny voice. Ratchet instantly dropped back and flattened himself against the wall of a nearby building. His ears perked up and his eyes scanned the area expertly. Sure enough, it was Jak and Daxter. They were heading in the direction Ratchet had just came from in a most likely stolen vehicle.

Ratchet watched them pass overhead with a smirk. He stalked them in silence watching the way Jak drove the vehicle. After only a few minutes he had the hovercraft's usage nearly completely mastered. An evil grin found its way onto Ratchet's face as he perfected the idea of his prank in his head. All he needed now was the perfect moment.

He saw his chance up ahead on a dark corner Jak and Daxter were nearing. He darted ahead quickly and awaited their arrival. The Lombax crouched down low, timing his jump with their speed. A second before they were directly over him, he leaped up powerfully. His left hand grabbed the side of their hovercraft and his right gripped the startled elf by the shoulder, unbalancing him. In one fluid movement, he knocked Jak from the zoomer and threw himself in the driver's seat. The engine roared as Ratchet floored the vehicle and he was lost in the night before Jak and Daxter could even comprehend what had happened.

Jak stood up slowly, shock etching his features. Never had he been thrown from his own hovercraft. Sure, he'd done it to others dozens of times, but the thought of it actually happening to him had seemed impossible. He looked around for the thief while Daxter clambered back up to his perch on Jak's shoulder. "Eh... Buddy? What just happened?" asked Daxter in bewilderment. Jak shook his head.

A short distance away, Ratchet turned the zoomer around and drove it back to where he'd dumped off Jak and Daxter. In their shock, they were still looking around for their missing ride; their backs were to him. Ratchet sniggered as he sped up the vehicle. At the last second he hit the brakes and dropped hover-zones. The zoomer came to a screeching last-second halt, spraying the duo with dirt and debris.

Jak stood his ground staring at the cloaked driver with frightened surprise while Daxter merely fainted off his shoulder. Ratchet, not being able to contain himself any longer, burst into laughter at the sight, instantly giving his identity up. He stepped off the hovercraft, still cracking up while Jak glared at him furiously. "Damn you, Ratchet!" he yelled out.

Ratchet coughed, trying to stifle his sniggers while Jak plucked Daxter off the ground. Jak gave Ratchet one last icy stare before getting in the drivers side. He tossed Daxter in the middle carelessly while Ratchet plopped down next to him.

"What are you doing out anyways?" Jak asked Ratchet after they started off. Ratchet shrugged, not caring to go into detail for obvious reasons. "I had to get out." he replied after a moment. Jak sensed there was more, but didn't press him.

They drove in silence for a few minutes before Jak said anything. "I'm taking you to an ancient shrine called the Oracle. It helped me with my powers and may be able to help you." Ratchet nodded in response, but didn't speak. It was still hard to digest. He saw Jak glance over at him from the corner of his eye.

"What are the chances of me having any powers?" Ratchet finally asked. The question had been bothering him. Jak replied back, but didn't look over. "It depends." he said. "You're obviously showing side effects of the eco experiments."

"Yes, but what if that's all they are? Side effects... You're a completely different story." Ratchet stated. "You can change and-"

"I learned how to channel the eco." Jak interrupted darkly. "I learned how to put the eco in my body to good use. You've never channeled it before and have no experience with the stuff. If there's a chance of you having powers then the Oracle will show you how to use them. If not, then don't worry about it."

Jak waited for a response from Ratchet, but the Lombax didn't reply back. He still felt uncomfortable with the thought of there being another person who could use eco like himself. It made him feel threatened and he half-hoped that the Oracle would push Ratchet away.

The remainder of the trip went by quietly for the most part. There was a brief disturbance when Daxter woke up and tried to attack out Ratchet, but was quickly subdued and the problem was taken care of. He sat in the middle with his arms crossed, casting murderous glares at the two beside him.

Ratchet looked around with distaste as they entered the slum section of Haven City. He felt nervous over all the water and even more-so when Jak stopped the vehicle and motioned for him to step out onto the dock. Ratchet grimaced and leaped out of the hovercraft, his feet touching down with a low thud. He stood up straight and followed Jak until the elf stopped in front of a small square building and nodded inside. "After you." he said with a haughty grin. Ratchet looked at Jak with disgust and went inside the building.

Ratchet stopped in the middle of the room and studied the statue. It was ancient. He glanced over at Jak with a curious look and shrugged. He was about to speak when a booming voice filled the hut.

"You are a long way from home, Ratchet of Veldin."

Ratchet staggered back in shock and looked around the room. He caught sight of Jak and could tell he was still smirking. His eyes came to rest on the statue which had begun to glow. "You do not belong here." the voice continued. "I cannot aid you in your quest for home, but I can help you in other ways."

Ratchet stepped forward to stand next to Jak. His confidence had been regained. "Red Eco flows freely through your veins and gives you many abilities if channeled correctly, yet it is not power that you seek. You are still young and spirited; you do not deserve the life you live now. More than anything else, you seek the freedom to roam and live. I shall grant you first, your freedom, in place of powers only if you wish. Unfortunately, this great gift comes with a price. Are you willing to continue?"

The Oracles tone held a foreboding note and Ratchet found himself over-thinking what the Oracle had said. In spite of this, Ratchet found himself nodding glumly along with the Oracles strong words.

"So you have agreed." The Oracle spoke deeply. "With the Sunrise comes a new day and a new life." Ratchet's eyes widened in shock as a powerful tingling sensation rippled through his body. "If you are still willing to continue with your powers, see me when you prove yourself worthy of them. Bring me 50 metal-head skull gems when you find yourself ready to move on."

The voice faded with the statue's light and soon the trio was left in near darkness. The only light being given off were the flames from the many candles surrounding the Oracle. The tingling subsided, leaving Ratchet with a nauseating sense of dizziness. He tried to shake off the spell, but only made it worse.

He heard Jak leave the hut and followed after him, blinking to clear his sight. He sat down in the zoomer and glanced over at Jak. "What did the Oracle mean by granting me my freedom?" he asked quietly. This whole visit had seemed like a complete waste of time.

Jak returned the stare as he started up the engine. "I don't know. That's what you wanted, isn't it?" he asked.

Jak found himself smirking. Knowing that Ratchet didn't have powers made him feel better and more secure, though he didn't know why.

Ratchet looked away from his cold gaze. "How can that stupid lump of rock grant me my freedom?" the Lombax retorted angrily. "It's more like a sick joke."

Jak's eyes narrowed dangerously as he cast a dark look in Ratchets direction. "That 'stupid lump of rock' showed me how to control and use the powers I have." He said coldly. Ratchet avoided Jak's stare. "I guess your Oracle wasn't so giving in my case."

"You shouldn't question the Oracle." Jak stated quietly in reply. "That shrine goes back hundreds of years. It's holy and powerful. The only reason it still exists is because people worship it. That explains the many candles surrounding the statue. You should-"

Ratchet interrupted, sniggering in reply. "Since when did you become a philosopher?" he stated sarcastically. Daxter snorted back a laugh and looked up at his friend. "Hmm... There's two words I wouldn't expect to hear in the same sentence: Jak and philosopher. Kind of has a nice ring to it, eh?" This earned him a smack across the head. Ratchet chuckled to himself, but didn't say anything more on the topic.

"Look" he said to Jak. "Think what you want about the Oracle, but I still believe it's a waste of time." He rolled his eyes and turned away from him, instead choosing to stare over the city life below him.

Daxter, not looking forward to another trip in cold silence, struck up a strange conversation in hopes of breaking the ice between the two. "So, not to be weird or anything... But there's something I REALLY have to know!" he exclaimed.

Ratchet cocked an ear towards Daxter to show he was listening and Jak glanced over at him curiously. Daxter, seeing that he had their attention for the most part, continued. "What's better on toast: Peanut butter or Jam?" Ratchet turned towards Daxter, an eyebrow raised. "You really have to know that?" he asked.

Daxter nodded quickly, turning to Jak. "Yup. I think it's an important thing that needs to be discussed." Jak rolled his eyes and grinned while Ratchet just gave him a strange stare. "You are weird." Ratchet replied after a moment.

The Lombax turned away and resisted a chuckle. He knew what Daxter was trying to do and appreciated the meager effort. After a long moment of silence, he finally answered Daxter's question. "Jam all the way."

Much to the surprise of both Ratchet and the Ottsel, Jak sniggered and joined in. "Peanut butter beats jam all the way." Ratchet grimaced visibly and wrinkled his nose. "How can you stand the stuff?" he argued. "It's gross and sticks to the room of your mouth. AND you can't get rid of the taste!"

Jak returned Ratchet's look of disgust. "And jam's so much better?" he retorted. "It's stickier than peanut butter and messier." Ratchet snorted in reply. "At least jam comes in different flavors." Daxter looked back and forth between the two and shrugged carelessly. "I've always liked both." He said happily. His comment was followed by a moment of silence.

"Okay..." Ratchet finally said. "When you prepare a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, do you put the jam and peanut butter on the same slice of bread?" Jak found himself laughing, despite his feelings towards Ratchet and didn't hesitate to join in. "How else would you do it?" he replied lazily. Just for the sake of argument, Daxter made a loud gagging noise. "How can you do that? I've gotta have the peanut butter on one slice and the jam on the other. Then I put them together. I can't stand having them mixed together on the bread. It looks gross!"

Ratchet let the two duke it out, choosing to pull himself out of the conversation for a moment. His dizziness was fading away, but he could feel a headache replacing it. Not willing to let this ruin his rare conversation with Jak, Ratchet merged back into the argument, choosing to defend Daxter and tried to ignore the sick feeling growing inside of him.

They spent the remainder of the night talking and arguing. Jak and Ratchet fought amiably about a large variety of things with Daxter interrupting from time to time to put in his opinion. Jak felt much more at ease around the Lombax since the visit with the Oracle. Whatever the Oracle meant by freedom hadn't seemed to affect Ratchet's body at all. Jak was still top-dog.

The night was fading into morning and by the time they had reached Keira's, Ratchets dizziness had grown into a full-blown migraine. His head pounded endlessly, and he found himself blinded a few times by the sheer intensity of the pain. Even though he was having a good time just driving around, it was hard to not look forward to his bed.

Jak switched hover-zones and pulled to a stop, letting Ratchet out. The second his feet touched the ground Ratchet knew something was wrong. As he leaped from the craft, he became overcome with dizziness and had to grasp the side of the vehicle for support. Jak gave him a strange look as he stepped back from the hovercraft. "You okay?"

Ratchet looked over at Jak and nodded quickly. "Uh yeah. It's been a while since I've been in the air for that long." he lied. Jak seemed to believe him and revved the engine. "We'll see ya later fuzzball!" Daxter yelled out as Jak sped off.

Ratchet watched them a moment before taking off. He took a shaky step forward and nearly lost his balance. He stood still, feeling short of breath and tried to figure out what could be causing his symptoms. His hands flew to his head as it flashed suddenly in pain.

His sight blurred as he took a few tentative steps towards Keira's. The small usage of energy sapped him and he found himself growing weaker with each step.

Gasping, he managed to make it halfway to Keira's door before falling against the wall, finding himself overcome with sudden exhaustion and pain. Using the wall for support, he half-crawled the remaining distance to her door.

His hand gripped the doorknob and he twisted it, shoving his weight against the door to throw it open. He staggered into the house blindly, fighting to breath. Startled, Keira and Clank spun around to face him. "Ratchet?!" Keira exclaimed. She stood up and was instantly at his side, followed by Clank. The previous night's event seemed to fly out of her mind as she stood by him. "What's wrong?! Are you okay?" she asked hurriedly.

Ratchet leaned against the wall, using it for support. He felt his muscles tighten then lock and he crumpled weakly to the floor. "Something... something's happening..." he managed to gasp out before his body rippled in agony. Clank stood by, feeling completely useless. "What is happening?" he questioned, hoping to figure out what was wrong with his friend.

Ratchet opened his mouth to reply but another ripple of pain shut him up. He felt his body double-over and fought to regain his breath. "I-I don't know!" he managed to say. "My body... It's-" A cry of pain escaped his lips before he could finish his sentence. He tried to suppress another shudder, but was unsuccessful. Keira leaned over him, her expression worried.

Ratchet looked up at her form, finding it hard to focus evenly on her. The fact that his body felt as though it was being torn into shreds didn't help in the least bit. He tried to speak, but his body wouldn't let him.

Instead, he turned over onto his back, staring at the ceiling. A deep burning sensation was beginning to work its way throughout his body from the inside out. Slowly, the heat increased in intensity until Ratchet felt as though his entire body was engulfed by flames.

Clank felt the temperature change around Ratchet and jerked Keira back away from the pained Lombax. He remembered the burns Ratchet had placed on Jak and didn't want to imagine such burns all over Keira.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she shrieked. "He needs out help!" Clank grabbed her hand vainly and tried to warn her. "You must stay away from him!" he cried out. "If you touch him at all you-"

Before he could finish, a red-hot flash seemed to burst out from Ratchet's body, forcing the two of them back against the other wall. Keira flung her hands over her eyes protectively while Clank watched in awe.

Ratchet's body was lifted up into air by the sheer power of if all. Time itself seemed to pause as the light pulsed around the Lombax. For a moment nothing happened. Then with blinding intensity, the light exploded and even Clank had to look away. The final flash ended with an anguished cry from Ratchet then there was silence.

Keira unshielded her eyes and stared in shock as Ratchet's body slumped back to the floor. His breathing was slow and labored, but the spasms had stopped. A deep red light seemed to be glowing softly from his body. Keira and Clank exchanged glances and stood up simultaneously. They approached Ratchet slowly and Keira leaned over him.

"What was that?" Keira asked. Her voice shook. Clank felt at a loss for words. "I am not sure..." he replied back. Keira moved to rouse him, but Clank stopped her.

"Best it you let me handle this." he said slowly. He touched Ratchet tentatively, noticing that the heat had subsided greatly. He shook his friend gently, and looked to Keira worriedly when Ratchet didn't respond. "It is safe. Help me turn him over."

Keira nodded and placed her hands on Ratchet's shoulders. She leaned back, pulling Ratchet away from the wall. When he rolled over to his back, Keira gasped in shock. Clank took a look at his friend and stepped back in surprise. His eyes brightened as he said the only thing he could muster at the time.

"Oh my!"

**Well, there's the end of Chapter Eight for everyone! Remember to review because your opinions and sayings help!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Hey Everyone! Squabbit here! Please, please, PLEASE, forgive me for not updating in so long! Like I said, I was really sick and stressed. After I got better, I just didn't have time to update my stories. Believe it or not, this was just finished the other night. sighs I'm falling behind schedule! Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had a really hard time writing it because I had a lot of stuff to add in. Sorry if it starts getting cruddy. I'm not too satisfied with how this chapter flows. It sounds WAY to forced for my liking. Anyhow, this chapter may leave tons of questions unanswered. I finally began adding more to the plot so sorry if you are confused a bit. If you have a question, don't be scared to ask! hugs all reviewers I love you guys!**

**Sanctus Sanguis: I COULD! OH YES I DID! NO! YOU'RE YELLING ONLY ANNOYS ME! Haha. Just playing around. Your first question should be answered in this chappie. :P Enjoy. Um… I loved your idea about Captain Quark! It made me laugh so hard! hugs Thanks! You're a doll!**

**Lunatic Pandora1: Oh, you sound almost disappointed… glare Fine! Be that way! I see the way you are! You hate me! sobs and turns away I still lurve you though…**

**Darkside: Thanks for the review dude! Are you psychic? I swear you're psychic…**

**Hellmouth2: DUDE! I absolutely love your reviews. Your reviews have always inspired me to write more. They always make me laugh and can make a bad day great! Thank you so much! I hope my long absence hasn't frightened you off! I'll miss you desperately! hugs If you want to use the peanut-butter thing in your fic, be my guest! Sorry, it's probably a little late to tell you this, but if you're still interested, I'd be honored to have a part in any of the writings! Anyhow, the pic idea is an awesome idea! I'll definitely consider including it! Thank you so much for reviewing and I look forward to whatever you have to say next!**

**ShiroNekoNyao: It's okay if you didn't get a chance to catch up! Sorry so much for the cliff hanger. It was mean of me. ;)**

**TO EVERYONE WHO REPLIED TO MY UPDATE: I want to give a double-thanks to all those who replied back to me. You all don't know how much your reviews and support mean to me. Thank you and god bless you all!**

Keira looked over at Clank and down at Ratchet incredulously. "Is that... But it can't be... Can it?" Keira questioned worriedly. Clank peered down at his friend and shook his head. "Yes! I believe it is him!"

Ratchet's face had been replaced by a young elfin visage. His skin was a few shades darker than a usual elf's with an soft orange-tan shade to it. Ratchet's hair was a light red-blonde color with orange highlights running from the roots and fading into the tips. It was shaggy, but not long, ending just past his ears.

A low moan escaped his lips as they backed away and his eyes opened looking around as if in a daze. They were still a brilliant green. Keira looked back at Clank, confident that this was Ratchet. She placed her hand on his cheek, surprised by it's warmth.

"Ratchet?" she asked gently. His eyes snapped to meet hers. It was definitely him. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly. Ratchet coughed slightly and sat up slowly. A dull ache throbbed through his temples, reminding him of earlier. "How long was I out?" he asked quickly. His voice was hoarse.

Keira looked him over, still not wanting to believe what had happened. "Not very long." she replied. She studied him for a moment.

"Are you feeling yourself?" she asked carefully. He gave her a strange look as he tried to stand up. "What are talking about?" he asked her. She looked to Clank for help.

"Ratchet... Perhaps you should look in a mirror and see for yourself." the robot suggested. Keira stood up and walked quickly into the bathroom. She brought back a small mirror and placed it in Ratchet's hands. He took the mirror uncomfortably and glanced over at the two, wondering what was going on with them.

Tentatively he looked into the mirror. Everything he'd suspected flew out the window as he stared wide-eyed at the elfin reflection looking back at him. The silence was finally broken when the mirror slipped from Ratchet's grasp and shattered on the floor. He hadn't seemed to notice. Instead, his gaze was locked on his hands. He lifted them up and inspected them closely, not wanting to believe what he was seeing.

"What happened to me?" he asked slowly. Keira and Clank exchanged another look and neither replied. "The Oracle!" he exclaimed with growing realization. "The sunrise will bring great change!" he said quietly. Keira looked at him, completely lost. "That statue did this to me!" he said a little louder.

"Ratchet? What on Veldin are you talking about?" Clank asked. The former Lombax quickly recounted last night's events to Keira and Clank.

"That's incredible!" Keira breathed. "Look at you! The Oracle granted you freedom by changing you into an elf!" she said. "But how?" she finally asked. Ratchet didn't look as pleased. "Incredible my ass..." he repeated sarcastically.

They stood in silence a moment before Ratchet finally spoke. "This isn't what I wanted..." he replied slowly. "When he said there was a great sacrifice involved, I didn't know it would mean giving up my body." Ratchet stiffened as Keira placed what she assumed to be a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you won't regret this." she said gently.

She was wrong. He already did.

He shrugged off her hand and made a move to go into the living room. His steps faltered and he staggered slightly, surprised by the lingering weakness in his muscles. Keira was there in a heartbeat, supporting Ratchet's weight on his left side. She put his arm over her shoulder and helped him forward. If he still had his tail right now, it'd be flicking in annoyance. Why was she trying to be so close? He accepted her help without response, doing it only as not hurt her feelings.

She led him to the couch and moved away, letting him sit down. He relaxed back as she sat next to him. His eyes narrowed slightly at her closer presence, wishing she'd sit elsewhere. He felt uncomfortable around her. Especially since the last night. He scooted away a few inches, choosing to lean on the arm of the couch. Clank sensed his friends discomfort and knowing things hadn't been resolved, he stood a few feet away and looked up at him. They had to talk things out and Clank knew Ratchet would use him as a distraction. Clank tugged at Ratchet's pant-leg.

"Would you like something to drink?" Clank questioned. Ratchet shook his head. "I'll get it myself." he replied. It would give him an excuse to get away from Keira. He stood to get up, but Clank stopped him. "No, Ratchet. You should rest. I'll be right back." He walked out of the room, leaving Ratchet.

Clank shut the door gently behind him, not looking back at the two. Ratchet needed some time to talk with Keira. His discomfort told Clank he had yet to apologize. Clank made it his point to take time in getting the water.

&

Ratchet noted that Clank was taking longer than he should in getting the water. He held back a sigh and let his gaze wander to Keira. His eyes automatically fell on her bruised neck. A feeling of deep shame filled his heart as he quickly averted his stare. Keira had seen him.

Even with his head turned away, he could still feel her watching him. His eyes locked with hers, trying to avoid the mark he'd left on her. He continued to stare into her eyes until she turned from him. He knew what he had to do.

"Keira?" he said softly. She turned towards him, her eyes questioning. "Look, I'm really sorry about...what happened." he trailed off, but Keira knew what he was talking about. She nodded in reply, but didn't say anything. Her silence bothered him and he felt forced to continue. "I shouldn't have... I mean, I..." he trailed off again. What did he mean?

He felt Keira's hand slip into his and he glanced down at their entwined fingers, slightly bewildered. He looked up to meet her gaze. "It's okay." she said smoothly. Ratchet's eyes narrowed. "No it's not." he retorted. "It was completely unacceptable. I never should've taken my anger out on you!"

Keira gave his hand a small squeeze and smiled. "It was partially my fault." she replied. "I shouldn't have pushed you so far..." Ratchet completely disagreed, but was too distracted with her sudden closeness to pay attention. When had she closed the distance? He looked to the kitchen door hopefully and is if on cue, the door budged open and Clank walked in the living room.

Keira scooted away from Ratchet, but to his distaste she didn't move her hand. He cast a dark look at Clank, as if blaming him for his predicament. Clank handed the water to Ratchet, ignoring the look and passed another to Keira. "After this, you should lay down for awhile." Keira suggested.

Ratchet welcomed the idea. He hadn't slept in two nights. Clank nodded also. "I too, need to recharge." Clank replied. Ratchet looked down at Keira's hand and was reminded of his discomfort. He set the water down without a second look and stood up slowly. The expected dizziness didn't come.

"I'll take your advice for once." Ratchet said to Keira. She grinned and stood up with Ratchet, much to his disgust. Before she could say anything, Ratchet took his leave. Thankfully, she didn't try to stop him.

He closed the door behind himself as he entered his room. He unstrapped the wrench from his back and set down his holster. He sank into the bed, not bothering to change at all. There was time enough for that and a good shower later on. As he lay out on the bed, his mind became clouded with thoughts. Most were centered around the Oracle and Keira's seemingly sudden change of behavior. Despite these worries, sleep came quickly to the fretful elf.

_Meanwhile with Erol..._

Erol stood next to a scrawny scientist, studying the little man's work from behind his shoulder. He found himself staring at a series of labeled drawings and such. Most were of various weapons salvaged over two years ago in the Lombaxian's wreck. The scientist's eager babble confused Erol and he slammed a fist down on the table to silence the man.

"Tell me your findings in ENGLISH, you pathetic waste of time!" he growled angrily. The scientist, known as Elric, looked extremely shaken and continued in a much slower tone. "We've finally found a way to clone and recreate the weapons found in the crash!" he said eagerly. Erol's eyes lit up at this comment.

"Unfortunately, we're having trouble with the ammo." Elric finished in a much quieter tone. Erol's smirk fell and he glared murderously at the scientist. "Trouble?" he repeated icily. Elric's eyes widened in fear and he quickly stammered back a reply. "It's not impossible, of course!" he squeaked. "But it may be a while before we find a success!"

Erol's eyes narrowed as he advanced upon the scientist. "How long are we talking here?" he asked. Elric was quick to back away from the enraged elf. "A f-few months at the least!" he stuttered. Erol's hand flew out and grabbed the scientist by the throat, bringing his face a few inches from his. "We don't have that much time..." he drawled out.

He flung the whimpering scientist to the floor and stepped over his shaking body, making sure to kick him as he passed. The scientist curled up in a defensive ball, but said no more as Erol stormed out of the room.

**There it is everyone! Sorry again for the long absence. (yeah, I know you're all tired of my excuses!) I'll update within two weeks! That's a promise!**


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